Doireann Ní Ghrioghair—Declaration of the State Metropolis at Tara

Pallas Projects/Studios are pleased to present Doireann Ní Ghrioghair—Declaration of the State Metropolis at Tara the tenth exhibition of our 2019 Artist-Initiated Projects programme.

“There is many a country that has decided to establish a capital city with grandeur, efficiency and unity of the central government. In ancient times, urban planning was pursued in Egypt, in a large number of cities in China, Greece and Rome. There are examples of this today in Washington, New Delhi, Ankara and Canberra.There is no need to tell why the location of Tara is suitable from the historical point of view. But there are many other recommendations, which make it suitable as the Capital of Ireland. It is in the centre of the country (25 miles from Dublin; Belfast, 78; Derry, 127; Limerick, 99; Tralee, 159; Sligo, 106; Athlone, 72; Kilkenny, 94). It would satisfy the people of Belfast, who have a congenital hatred of Dublin, as a city of conflict and not only as a capital: it would break the alien influence of the people of Rathmines, Rathgar and the Royal Irish Academy on the persons of the Government of Ireland. Therefore, it would not be too far “at all”, from Dublin, and it would not oblige all the officials of the Government to be brought from Dublin nor from Belfast. The new city of Tara would not be removed from rural life, as is Dublin, and it would be a clear sign that we have left for good, the old-bad-days that we have had during the seven centuries, during which we were under the heavy yoke of England; may it be our intention, sincerely, to build a new epoch in Ireland for ourselves.”

—Daithí Ó hÁinle, extract from “Maoidheamh ar Árd-Cathair Stáit I dTeamhair”, Áiserighe 1942 - published by Ailtirí na hAiséirghe, translated by Paddy Greer

Ailtirí na hAiséirghe (Architects of the Resurrection) were an Irish fascist political party active in the 1940’s They envisioned a united Ireland where emigration as well as the speaking of the English language would be banned. Highly conservative and religious, they also saw women’s role as to produce as many offspring as possible in order to form a large army and imagine Ireland rising as a supreme leading nation after all other countries be decimated after World War II.
“Maoidheamh ar Árd-Cathair Stáit I dTeamhair” (Declaration of the State Metropolis at Tara) by the architect Daithí Ó hÁinle appeared in one of their regularly published periodicals and included “Speer-esque” urban planning and buildings such as a “National Avenue”, a stadium, “A Garden of Heroes” and a “Column of the Resurrection”. Later in his career, Ó hÁinle would progress on to be an architect for Dublin City Council, as well as designing the Garden of Remembrance and the Basilica at Knock.

In an age where ideology is becoming increasingly polarised, the rise of the right-wing, normalised open racism and bigotry espoused by world leaders, this way of thinking can no longer be dismissed, however bizarre sounding. 
In a new series of sculptures made as resident artist at the College of Architecture & Engineering, UCD as part of Parity Studios, Ní Ghrioghair presents a dystopian vision based on Ó hÁinle’s plans, that aim at interrogating notions of Irishness and national identity particularly coming up to more centenary commemorations and Brexit.

3D printing completed using facilities at University College Dublin. A very special thank you to John Ryan from UCD School of Civil Engineering for his kind assistance.

Biography:

Doireann Ní Ghrioghair (b. 1983) graduated with an MA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art & Design, London in 2010. Her sculptural work takes its lead from monumental architecture in contemporary European cities. Through examining the materiality, form and aesthetics of these buildings, her work aims to probe at the psychological and physical consequences of this architecture for the individual in the city. She completed a long-term residency at Fire Station Artist Studios, Dublin from 2014-17. Solo exhibitions of her work have been held at MART Gallery, Dublin (2017); Platform Arts, Belfast (2017) & Eight Gallery, Dublin (2016) Notable group exhibitions include Urgencies, CCA Derry-Londerry (2019); Klimaweschel – MKH Biennale, Germany (2018); Fatal Attraction, Thames Side Gallery, London (2018); We Only Want The Earth, Adobe Backroom Gallery, San Francisco (2018); TULCA -The Headless City curated by Daniel Jewesbury (2016); After the Future, Eva Biennial (2012) curated by Annie Fletcher, Limerick. She was selected four times to exhibit at Creekside Open, APT Gallery, London (2017,2015, 2013 & 2011 curated by Alison Wilding, Lisa Milroy, Ceri Hand and Phyllida Barlow respectively). She recently completed a residency in the School of Architecture & Engineering, UCD as part of Parity Studios.

Artist-Initiated Projects at Pallas Projects/Studios is an open-submission, annual gallery programme of 10 x 3-week exhibitions taking place between March and November 2019, in the context of a gallery space with a dedicated tradition towards the professional development of artists in a peer-led, supportive environment. This unique programme of funded, artist-initiated projects selected via open call is highly accessible to artists, with a focus on early career, emerging artists and recent graduates. Projects are supplemented with artists' talks, texts, workshops or performances, and gallery visits by colleges and local schools.

Artist-Initiated Projects aims to act as an incubator for early careers, and support artists' practices at crucial stages, providing a platform for artists to produce and exhibit challenging work across all art forms. The model of short-run exhibitions with a relatively short turnaround time of 3–6 months is an alternative to the normal institutional model, where the process of studio visit to exhibition can take several years. Shorter lead-in times allow the programme to be quick and responsive, reflect what artists are currently making, and encourage experimentation and risk-taking.