James Joyce’s iconic short story collection, Dubliners, has been enormously popular for almost 100 years. Every Trinity student has probably felt somehow obliged to read these short stories. Though Dubliners was originally published in 1914, many of the themes within the text – stagnation, boredom, deep ambivalence about Ireland – still resonate with us today. In an attempt to re-examine these themes within a modern context, Robert Sutton has created Dubliners 2019.
An interactive audiovisual exhibition, Dubliners 2019 encourages active engagement with some of Joyce’s timeless themes. The exhibition will run on November 23rd and 24th in Studio 39 and promises to provide an immersive experience for attendees. Many of us have read the original text, and many of us are sick of hearing about Joyce, but this re-invention of a classic Joycean text promises to breathe new life into a much-studied, much-discussed subject.
In an email to The University Times, Sutton outlines the exhibition’s aim: “The project’s aim is essentially to transpose the overarching themes of Joyce’s Dubliners into a modern context and in doing so allowing us to reflect on how Ireland has changed in the time since that book was published.” Ireland has gone through huge social change in the last 100 years, and this exhibition promises to illustrate these changes in the form of an audiovisual experience.
The exhibition incorporates modern technology, highlighting the rapid, tangible changes that have taken place in Ireland and globally: “The audience is presented with a touch screen map of Dublin and projections on the walls surrounding them.” Through this technology, the exhibition becomes an immersive experience for attendees, allowing them to not only view the artwork, but to live within Joyce’s short stories. Sutton elaborates: “Embedded into the map are a number of dots which float around the city, each of these are a story the user can interact with through a flow of text on the touch screen and looping visuals on the walls around them, placing the audience into the middle of the story.”
Dubliners 2019 is Sutton’s first exhibition since graduating from Trinity with a master’s degree in digital media earlier this year. This Trinity graduate’s show is clearly rooted in Ireland’s rich literary history. However, Sutton explains that the exhibition is also founded on the exploration and dissection of abstract concepts. “The passage of time and how it is measured against people and places is central to the project as a whole”, he explains.
For a fresh look at some classic literature, head down to Studio 39 on Clanbrassil St this weekend and explore this re-imagining of Joyce’s Dublin. Admission is free, but voluntary donations are welcome.
