St Carthage Hall
04 Apr - 28 May, 2017
In 2017, Lismore Castle Arts presented the first solo exhibition in Ireland of Massimo Bartolini in St Carthage Hall, which opened on April 4th and continued until May 28th, 2017 .
Responding to the unique gallery space that is St Carthage Hall, the artist created a new organ piece specially for the building. The piece takes the form of a ‘well’ with a barrel organ inside - the box plays the first 5 bars of the John Cage work In a Landscape. Related to other organ works by the artist, the work played automatically as visitors entered the space. The air blown through the metal pipes first passes through the holes in the music roll, giving rise to variations in tone and length. The air passing through the mechanics also lends the work a strangely human quality, further referencing spiritual connections. The juxtaposition of a minimal, brutalist structure with such an intimate, fragile sound is central to Massimo’s practice.
Massimo Bartolini’s work embraces various materials and techniques, from sculpture and performance to photography. His works have included an elevated floor that created the impression of distorted space; an installation in which a device on the heel of a visitor’s shoes altered the light in the exhibition space; and rooms suffused with perfume and the sound of leaking water. These, often sensual, artworks induce in the viewer a meditative state that is still highly experiential, making us reflect on the relativity of what is stable and unchangeable.
This exhibition was kindly supported by The Arts Council Ireland, Frith Street Gallery, London and The Shifting Foundation.
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Nicole Wermers will create a large-scale installation in response to the castle and the space at St Carthage Hall.
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Lismore Castle Arts
A Cabinet of Curiosities at Lismore Castle Arts
Lismore Castle Arts
Open Daily
Monday to Sunday
10:30am – 5:30pm (last entry 4:30pm)
15 March – 27 October
St Carthage Hall
Saturdays and Sundays
12pm – 5pm during exhibitions
Other times by appointment
The Mill
Saturdays and Sundays
12pm – 5pm during exhibitions
Other times by appointment