A group show by Lorraine Cleary, Lenka Davidikova and Gemma Kirkpatrick
Curated by Hannah McMurray
Simulacrum · noun · an unsatisfactory imitation or substitute – combines, in an exhibition of three female artists, Lorraine Cleary, Lenka Davidikova and Gemma Kirkpatrick.
These three artists were brought together as they all share, and explore themes of what it means to be a woman in various natural and more ambiguous settings. Being a woman is often defined by how you navigate spaces; be they domestic, societal, physical or metaphysical. This exhibition demonstrates how three female artists explore similar ideas and are taking very different approaches to their practices, and come together to ask how do we move through trauma? Exploring survival, with an emphasis on how women situate themselves within binding and oppressive settings. With a focus on how to reclaim female bodies, spaces and personal freedom for themselves.
SafeHouse has no doors or windows and is constructed from empty eggboxes, spray-painted pink. Pink is the stereotypical colour associated with the female; yielding a distinct feminine aura to remind us that the majority of domestic abuse victims are female. Several connotations can be attached to the eggboxes; such as eggs association with the female womb. Eggboxes can be used as a cheap sound filtration system due to their wave like structure, hinting at how abuse can be hidden. “Walking on Eggshells” is a well-known metaphor that describes a situation where one person is overly fearful of upsetting another and tries to appease them on a regular basis. The home is assumed to be a place of safety but to victims of abuse it becomes a place of torment where they find themselves carefully navigating the perils of the domestic space - walking on eggshells. This installation serves to demonstrate that for many, the home represents a place of fear, trauma and neglect. It is essentially a prison of sorts.
Supported by The Arts Council Ireland & Tipperary Arts Council.
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