Ballydehob cows inspire music for Dublin show

THE second exhibition which draws inspiration from West Cork will open at the Goethe Institute in Dublin this week.

The Glenkeen Variations exhibition has sound art, video works and paintings by four international artists – all of whom have taken part in a Ballydehob-based artist-in-residence programme.

The sights and sounds of Roaringwater Bay and its surroundings have served as the inspiration for the second show in the series. ‘Composing Landscapes’ is a new multimedia art exhibition which will open at the Dublin institute on Wednesday May 8th.

The Glenkeen Variations features the work of ten international artists who have participated in the Glenkeen Garden residencies. One of the pieces is an original music score called The Language of Water composed by Mexican sound artist Tania Rubio, which mixes sounds from Glenkeen Garden – including rain dripping from leaves, bird calls, buzzing insects and distant cattle sounds. Created for 12 instruments and electronics, the full composition will be premiered later this year.

Two paintings by Austrian-German artist Markus Huemer navigate between traditional painting and media art. He was triggered by the appearance of an orange full moon upon his first arrival at Glenkeen Garden for his painting The Pumpkin. Utilising digital tools like computers and algorithms alongside traditional materials such as canvas and brushes, Huemer delves into perceptual realms that exist between worlds and allude to the unseen.

Ballydehob’s Glenkeen Garden was created by German photographer, psychologist, and philanthropist Ulrike Crespo (1950-2019) and her partner Michael Satke over a period of 20 years. Since 2021, the Frankfurt-based Crespo Foundation has welcomed artists working across different disciplines to the estate for three-month residencies.

The residency programme invites artists to explore the relationship between art and nature during their stays and offers them opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange through collaboration with humanities scholars and scientists.

‘Composing Landscapes’ will run until June 8th. The exhibitions are free to visit, and no advance registration is required. Artist presentations and a panel discussion will take place at the UCC’s Glucksman in Cork on May 10th.

On May 11th, the artists will offer a series of workshops and talks at the Working Artist Studios in Ballydehob, inviting participants to delve into the artists’ creative processes and research.

For more information visit www.goethe.de/ireland