Memorandum is a retrospective showcase that is currently on view at the Olivier Cornet Gallery and is running until February 28th. The premise of this show is to display the pinnacle works of each exhibition that has been housed in this space during 2025, creating an exhibition that encapsulates the artworks of 15 artists from across the island. In particular, the show contemplates the four solo shows which were held over the past year, including artwork by Nickie Hayden, Conrad Frankel, Eoin Mac Lochlainn and Daniel Lipstein. The wide selection of art styles and mediums shaped the exhibition’s theme of reflection and variety, allowing for comparisons to be made and for the qualities of each individual work to be accentuated. Yet, despite its ambitious attempts to bring these pieces together, the sprawling array of works at times felt disjointed and impacted one’s ability to engage and connect with certain pieces.
The exhibition certainly has degrees of curatorial merit. The spatial flow was orchestrated so as to bring the viewer through the room in a circular motion, with the focal point of the room being a table displaying a collection of books left on the pages of articles and themes relating to the displayed artworks. The selection of pieces conveyed a munificent appreciation for nature and its source as an artistic inspiration.
This was particularly evident in the works of Eoin Mac Lochlainn, which explored the inevitable strength and dominance that nature has over human intervention. His series of wooden fences on birch panels are a study of wood and its textural properties, not only when painted, but when it is used as a canvas. This theme of nature is furthered again by Yanny Peters’ detailed studies of the native flora and fauna of Ireland and Annika Berglund’s “Dublin Spring II”, a mobile exploring the vivacious tones of Irish wildlife. The ensemble of artworks successfully gave the viewer a quick glimpse into the creative impulses and inspirations of each artist, fulfilling the intention and purpose of the exhibition.
However, the range of styles and mediums were arranged in such a way that there was little cohesion between each piece. The viewer is not guided through a journey of the different shows of 2025, but instead is left to decipher which piece belonged to each show. To further this incoherence, for a majority of the artworks shown in the exhibition, there was no way of discriminating which artist created each work. While it allowed for one to concentrate their focus on the visual qualities of each piece, at times it was challenging to connect the work with the artist. Although QR codes containing the name of the artist were provided, I felt that this detracted from the experience, not allowing for the viewer to completely immerse themselves in the exhibition. Using your phone in order to find out information about the piece almost served as distraction, as though it was a reminder of how technology has infiltrated even the smallest of everyday actions. Both the lack of labels and the arranging of certain pieces resulted in an exhibition that has the potential to easily confuse and even frustrate the viewer.
As a whole, Memorandum managed to look back on the success of the gallery’s previous exhibitions, highlighted the expansive selection of art housed there, and served as a great introduction for those acquainting themselves with the artists shown at the Olivier Cornet Gallery.
