TENSEGRITY 39, Collaboration with Simon Robinson for ARTNETDLR exhibition CROSSCURRENTS in the Lexicon Library,MunicipalGallery, Dunlaoghaire.
On our very first meeting in Co.Clare we were both pleased to see that we both had VW transporters which we used as vehicles of respite from the rush of the world. This boded well for our collabration. A knife and murder incident in Dublin had just happened and immigration was falsely blamed as the cause . This collaborative artwork was an attempt to higlight the immigration issue in Ireland. Most of the images in this work were taken by Simon cycling round Dunnlaoghaire where he is resident of successful Immigrant stores. We chose to use the model of Tensegrity by the american architect Buskminster Fuller as our underlying structure. It fitted perfectly with the idea of tension and the title of the exhibtion of crosscurrents. The delicate 2mm panels have photographic decals of Simon’s images fired onto the glass. These glass panels are held in stainless steel frames designed to take the tension of the structure but also hold the glass safely and without placing any strain on the panel.
The sphere sits on 5 delicate glass petals which in turn are fastened to stainless steel strips welded to a stainless steel tube. This tube is attached to a sound box at the base that acts as a stand for the whole sculpture. The sculpture has sound and light sensors which are set off by movement of viewers that allow the recording of a text writen by Simon on immigrationto be heard.
The text below is some of the words read in 9 different languages which are spoken by residents in Ireland.
‘My mother (91)expressed her frustration with the number of immigrants working in her nursig home. I reminded her that both of her children were emigrants not emigres: that on arriving elsewhere,we became economic immigrants; that all of her five grandchildren were born elsewhere; that they inherited the opportunities of dual nationality.
;Its not the same thing at all’ she said dismissively.
Population growth and poor global goverenance increase the likelihood of conflict through competition for dwindling resources.Population movements will continue,as they have for millenia,as people adjust to what their surroundings can or can’t support.
