Amazingly there wasn’t a drop in energy to be seen on the second last day of the constantly busy week-long Trinity Arts Festival. If anything, there was a feeling of sadness to be felt by all that the Festival was coming to an end. I have been continuously surprised throughout the week at how interesting and inspiring the talks have been, and how the ambitious volunteer-run events have run so successfully. Thursday saw a continuation of the workshops and talks, as well as an evening at the art collective Wonderfulgood.
Jamie McCartney Talk, Thursday daytime
Aisling ní Mhaoláin
Today at lunchtime, the only place to be was the Hist conversation room as experimental artist, sculptor and all round very cool guy Jamie McCartney gave a talk about his work. He guided us through his progress from art school to beyond, looking at both his socio-politically engaged work and pieces that are “just funny”. He began at his roots, having been inspired by Krzysztof Wodiczko and Salvador Dali to create clever, provocative work. The talk was intelligent, entertaining and largely light hearted, but also focused on a variety of deeper issues in art today, such as what exactly constitutes “art”, and the messages artwork can convey, be it intended by the artist or interpreted by those who experience the work. Naturally, his piece “The Great Wall of Vagina” was of particular interest, as he guided us through previous pieces that inspired him to create the Wall, and the influence it has had in female body image. The 10-panel work consists of plaster casts of a variety of vaginas, showing the diversity and range in female anatomy – an area of anxiety he had not previously considered. Jamie also brought along a selection of “goodies”, merchandise such as mugs, books, postcards and phone covers, which resulted in something of a scrum from the gathered art enthusiasts. The talk also had some delicious sandwiches provided by KC Peaches – the perfect way to spend a lunchtime!
Flower Headband Workshop, Thursday daytime
Paul Behan
The lovely Aoife Leonard dropped in to the chamber of the GMB to run TAF’s Flower Crown workshop. It’s a beautiful sight, the long wooden table sprayed with all the colours of spring and a “Hunger Games” style scramble of fresher girls vying for the most glam hair-bands. So you’ve seen Betsy Johnson-esque flower crowns in every high street shop and at every festival but how hard is it to do it yourself? With Aoife Leonard, some hair-bands, fake flowers, ribbon, beads, wire clippers and some vajazzles (if you’re feeling adventurous) it’s a walk in the park. AND with Top Shop et al selling the exact same thing for 7000 times the price it’s a bit of a steal. If you’re feeling creative then this is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. I wouldn’t exactly be a flower crown person and as the only man in the room I was certainly a minority but there’s something undeniably wonderful about watching some of Trinity’s nicest girls crowning themselves in the chamber on the thrones and smiling like a princess.
Wonderfulgood Art Collective, Thursday evening
Alexandra Trant
Wonderfulgood was perhaps my most unique, strange and overall (you guessed it) wonderful experiences this week. Not really knowing what to expect, the Georgian Houses on Henrietta Street were a visual amazement in their own, and it was a perfect venue for a night in typical TAF fashion. Probably the best way I had described it last night was ‘This could be a scene from Skins – but the old Skins, not the shit new ones.’
Wonderfulgood Art Collective are a group of artists, musicians, actors, poets, the list is endless. They came together for a love of their mutual interests, and as one of their first events as a collective, their passion for their project is more than clear. The venue alone was a piece of art, between Wonderfulgood and TAF the house became a place of kooky beauty, decorated with coloured projections, the faded antiques within the house were draped with fairy lights in a new lease of life, and it was difficult not to admire the massive Whale mosaic postered to the wall on the first room you see.
However the individual acts I saw were incredible. There was a DJ set downstairs, with spoken word and individual artists. A singer (who unfortunately I did not catch the name of – Blame the Mardi Gras event in the fabulous Prhomo for the reason) mesmerised his audience, who were piled on top of one another in order to have a listen. His voice was both powerful and haunting, and the emotion he projects from his art was palpable.
Another audience pleaser was the spoken word acts. The highlight for me was Trinity’s Aoife Leonard (fresh from her fabulous flower crown workshop earlier that day) and her piece about drugs and being young in Dublin’s nightlife. It was fresh, honest, funny and beautiful. Leonard’s performance was engaging and the audience were hung on every word.
Unfortunately, I don’t think this blog post has done the night justice. There was so much to admire throughout the event that I haven’t captured all of its wonders. The last thing to say is that I recommend checking out Wonderfulgood on Facebook and staying up to date with their projects.
Friday is the last day of the Festival, finishing in the evening with a closing party featuring a performance from Berlin-based DJ KlangKuenstler.
Flower workshop photography by Katie Black, Wonderfulgood photography by Alexandra Trant.
