Opening event of "Off the Streets" exhibition

dublin | arts and media | event notice Tuesday February 22, 2011 18:55 by Ruairi - Seven Towers

Week-long exhibition as part of Library Ireland Week

This will see the launch of a joint exhibition by artist Colm Desmond and novelist Oran Ryan, in which readings by Oran Ryan combined with an installation of photographic works by Colm Desmond will be the basis for an event in which the audience will be encouraged to engage with current themes.

This event will unleash a world of imaginative escapism, formal literary and visual experimentation that is not so far removed from the present reality as both artists might think.

The read material will be exhibited with the installed work, and the exhibition will be there to view throughout Library Ireland week.

Colm Desmond (born in Cork) holds a BA in Fine Art, IADT Dun Laoghaire (2004), and an MA Art in the Contemporary World, NCAD, Dublin (2008). In March 2010, he exhibited at Basement Project Space, Cork. In 2009 he held a solo exhibition of photographic work at The Front Lounge, Dublin 2 (March 2009) and an installation of display ‘vitrines’ at Pallas Contemporary Projects, Dublin 7 (July 2009), as part of their independent summer programme. He created the stage design for a new play by Dublin writer Oran Ryan, at Ranelagh Arts Festival in September 2009. He has participated in joint and group exhibitions in Dublin, including at ‘Broadstone XL Space, (Sept.2008), thisisnotashop (March 2007), and in open submission exhibitions, including COE 09, Claremorris, Co. Mayo (2009), Eigse, Carlow (2008), Iontas Small Works, Sligo (2007), ev+a 2005 Limerick (2005), and C2:1995-2005 at the Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork (2005). He lives and works in Dublin.

Oran Ryan is a novelist, poet and playwright from Dublin. His poetry, short stories and literary criticism have appeared in magazines worldwide. His novels The Death of Finn and Ten Short Novels by Arthur Kruger, both published in 2006, and One Inch Punch, his third is to be published in 2011. His work has also appeared in the anthologies Census 1 (2008), Census 2 (2009), Living Streets, Anthology of the Ranelagh Arts Festival (2009), Dublin 10 Journeys, One Destination (2010). His play Don Quixote Has Been Promoted was performed at the Ranelagh Arts Festival 2009; his has been shortlisted for the P J O’Connor Award; his words were performed on stage at the Stone Theatre in Manhattan, New York in 2008 and in 2010 his Radio Play Christmas 1947 was performed live as part of KRCB FM 91.1 Twisted Christmas 8 Live performance in California, as well as broadcast on KRCB over Christmas 2010.