In the exhibition ‘libraries of rest’, artist Ciara Barker is making space to consider the value of rest. To explore how it looks and feels. To respect this need, and avoid judging it. To prioritise connecting, feeling, recovering, and playing.
This space invites you to imagine that a new catalogue of library services is being developed. One that will ensure that every person, regardless of their productive capacity, has access to resources and experiences that support their resting needs.
You’re invited to reimagine the existing culture that leaves us endlessly busy and exhausted, while believing we’re still not doing enough. We need to help each other rest. How might we think outside of systems that value profit over caring for people?
In this space, you will find tools to help you imagine this library. Respond with the materials provided, or by moving around the space, having conversations, playing, daydreaming, lying down, or simply existing.
‘libraries of rest’ is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Photos: Contributions by the general public to 'libraries of rest'.
@ciara_barker_@aoife_donnellan_@prodmankyy@libraries_of_rest@artscouncilireland@leitrimcountycouncil
#leitrimarts #thedockarts
‘libraries of rest’ represents an evolution in Irish artist Ciara Barker’s work to date, expanding her previous installation practice to create a fully immersive collective resource.
Her artistic approach combines installation, gameplay, sound and light, to inhabit a space between visual art, large-scale environments and critical theory.
This interdisciplinary approach is grounded in a material exploration of the body, by creating ephemeral and flexible work that considers people in space.
First created as part of Zeitgeist Irland 24, an initiative of Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in Germany, ‘libraries of rest’ challenges a traditional focus on productivity, encouraging us to consider speculative futures centered on well-being and relaxation.
‘libraries of rest’ is curated by Aoife Donnellan and features a soundscape by mankyy.
The exhibition is open Tuesday — Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Admission is free, and all are welcome.
Photos by Ros Kavanagh. ( @roskavanagh )
@ciara_barker_@aoife_donnellan_@prodmankyy@artscouncilireland@cultureireland@leitrimarts
#exhibition #carrickonshannon #leitrimarts #thedockarts
Libraries of Rest is open at The Dock until November 1st! Here are some beautiful installation shots of the exhibition with some visitor contributions. If you’re near Carrick-on-Shannon before the end of the run, stop in for a rest.
Images by Ros Kavanagh
Photo 1: Installation view of Libraries of rest at The Dock, blue and red light reflect on silver mylar sheets with a table in the middle, bordered by chairs, with playdoh, cards, paper and markers on the table.
Photo 2: A brown paper sheet hangs from the wall with crayon drawings on it. A grey beanbag sits by the side of the paper. A wall text with the title ‘Welcome to the Library’ hangs on the wall. Post-its are stuck to the wall on either side of the brown paper, above wooden shelves.
Photo 3: A blue floormat on the ground with matching pillows, next to a shelf with playdoh creations from visitors. An arch in the wall with wire holding card contributions from visitors. A table covered in brown paper holding playdoh, cards, paper and markers, and game instructions.
Photo 4: Three decks of cards each with different titles: ‘types of rest’, ‘barriers’, and ‘things’. One card is upturned, reading “physical rest: allow your body to recover from physical exertion”.
Photo 5: Two silver mylar sheets lit with red and blue lights, with a blue floormat on the ground next to it.
Photo 6: A closer detail image of the arch holding card contributions from visitors.
Libraries of Rest by Ciara Barker is an immersive exhibition that invites visitors to imagine the future of restful spaces and practices. The opening reception takes place at The Dock on Saturday 23 August at 2pm and is free to attend.
Libraries of Rest debuted at transmediale studio in Berlin as part of Zeitgeist Irland 24, where audiences were encouraged to consider speculative futures centred on collective well-being, divorced from productivity. Facilitating the creation of a shared resource of ideas for accessing rest, the second iteration of Libraries of Rest at The Dock combines installation, gameplay, sound and light, inhabiting a space between visual art, immersive environment and critical theory.
This interdisciplinary approach is grounded in a material exploration of the body, by creating ephemeral and flexible work that considers people in space.
Barker’s investigation of rest as a method of resistance is informed by a number of critical works including texts by Tricia Hersey, Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith, Sonya Renee Taylor and Dr Devon Price. This scholarship is grounded in its examination of structural inequality and rest as a racial, disability rights and social justice issue that disproportionately affects marginalised communities.
Libraries of Rest is curated by Aoife Donnellan with a soundscape by Mankyy. The exhibition will be on display at The Dock until Saturday 1 November.
Images:
(1) A patron of the initial Libraries of Rest exhibition at transmediale studio in Berlin rests on a beanbag. Photo by Katie O'Neill.
(2) A table set up close to the floor is covered in crayons and bathed in neon lights. Photo by Katie O'Neill.
(3) A closeup photo of a desk with a single lamp illuminating it's contents, including post-it notes and cards. Photo by Katie O'Neill.
(4) A closeup photo of cards and pens scattered across a desk. Photo by Katie O'Neill.
(5) A closeup photo of previous illustrated contributions to Libraries of Rest. Photo by Aoife Donnellan.
(6) A closeup photo of previous modelled contributions to Libraries of Rest. Photo by Aoife Donnellan.
@libraries_of_rest@ciara_barker_@aoife_donnellan_@prodmankyy@leitrimarts@artscouncilireland
Join us tomorrow, the 22nd, for our last day, where we will observe an hour of silence in the exhibition from 12-1pm to make space for those who cannot rest because of the violence perpetrated against them.
There are many places in the world where rest isn’t possible. This hour invites visitors to keep in mind those people in Gaza, in Sudan, in Syria, in Ukraine, and other places in the world where people are targets of political violence.
Photo by Katie O’Neill @oneillkt247
Libraries of Rest opens September 11th in transmediale studio in silent green Kulturquartier.
Here is some information about accessing the venue, the facilities, and what to expect:
Physical Access: There are two entrances to the gallery space. The front entrance is situated on the right-hand side of silent green Kulturquartier. There are 6 steps up to the door, and 20 steps in a spiral shape down to the space.
If entering through the back entrance, there is step-free access through an elevator accompanied by an approximately 2 minute walk through the venue until you reach the exhibition space. The back entrance is open from 12-5pm as per Silent Green’s opening hours.
Facilities: There will be water, ear plugs, face masks and seating available for visitors. A gender-neutral bathroom will be available in the gallery space with a door width of approximately 58cm.
What to expect: There will be a soundscape, as well as soft lighting in the space. Visitors are invited to interact with the work at their own pace.
Invigilators will be available during the exhibition to answer questions.
Masked Hours: On Fridays from 12-3pm,
invigilators in the space will be masked. Visitors are encouraged to wear face masks during this time.
Face masks will be available in the gallery space.
If you have any access needs not addressed above, would like further resources or if you have any questions, please email [email protected] .
@prodmankyy@cultureireland@irlembberlin@zeitgeist_irland_24@aoife_donnellan_@silent.green@transmediale@ciara_barker_
#art #opening #berlinartweek #installation #rest #ireland #berlin
Check out some of Ciara Barker’s amazing previous installations ahead of the opening of her latest work, Libraries of Rest at transmediale studio on September 11th!
Ciara Barker is an artist from the west of Ireland. Her practice takes form as immersive installations, offering visitors a route to personal experience and discovery. She recently undertook a period of research and development supported by the Irish Arts Council, establishing a new artistic concern; supporting the capacity to imagine an equal and sustainable future.
Ciara was an Artist-in-Residence at Ormston House, Limerick for 5 years and was commissioned to develop a large-scale installation for their project The Feminist Supermarket (2021), an iteration of which was exhibited at Supermarket Independent Art Fair, Stockholm. Exhibition highlights also include the Galway International Arts Festival (2019). Ciara co-founded Spacecraft Studios in Limerick city in 2017 and was a Director there for two years. She holds a BA in Fine Art from Limerick School of Art & Design (2017) and a H.Dip. in Interaction Design from Dublin City University (2022).
‘Libraries of Rest’, open September 11th-22nd at transmediale studio, as part of the Zeitgeist Irland 24 program.
More info at the link in bio 🔗
Image 1: Ciara Barker ‘People Who (...) Have No Dreams,’ 2021 / Image credit Jed Niezgoda
Image 2: Ciara Barker, ‘Fascination for the Outside’, (2019) / Couresty of the Artist
Image 3: Ciara Barker, ‘Transmission I’ (2019) / Courtesy of the Artist
@zeitgeist_irland_24@cultureireland@irlembberlin
#berlin #art #installation #ireland #zeitgeistirland24
Join us for the vernissage of Libraries of Rest by Irish artist Ciara Barker from 6-8pm on September 11th, 2024 at transmediale studio.
Curated by Aoife Donnellan and with a soundscape by Mankyy, ‘Libraries of Rest’ aims to create an inclusive and comfortable space that considers alternative futures, divorced from productivity.
Libraries of Rest is part of Zeitgeist Irland 24, an initiative of Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in Germany.
Find more information about the exhibition and launch at the link in bio.
DE
Vernissage: 11. September, 18-20 Uhr; alle sind willkommen
Ausstellung: mittwochs bis sonntags, 12-19 Uhr
Die Ausstellung „Libraries of Rest“ der irischen Künstlerin Ciara Barker im transmediale Studio ermöglicht die Schaffung einer gemeinsamen Datenbank von Ideen für Methoden der Erholung. Die Ausstellung lädt Besucher*innen dazu ein, sich die Zukunft von Erholungsräumen und -praktiken vorzustellen, indem sie eine Umgebung kultivieren, in der Fürsorge Vorrang hat und Erholung gefeiert wird.
Die von Aoife Donnellan kuratierte und von Mankyy mit einem Soundscape unterlegte Ausstellung 'Libraries of Rest' zielt darauf ab, einen integrativen und komfortablen Raum zu schaffen, der alternative, von der Produktivität losgelöste Zukünfte in Betracht zieht.
Image description: A pastel pink background overlayed with an organic blue shape and navy lettering that says “libraries of rest, immersive art installation by Ciara Barker, curated by Aoife Donnellan, soundscape by Mankyy”
@zeitgeist_irland_24@cultureireland@irlembberlin
#berlin #art #exhibition #opening #vernissage #installation
Libraries of Rest, an immersive installation by Ciara Barker.
Opening September 11th, 2024 at transmediale studio in Silent Green Kulturquartier, Libraries of Rest sees Irish artist Ciara Barker facilitate the creation of a shared resource of ideas for methods of rest. Cultivating an environment that invites audiences to imagine a future where care is prioritised and rest is celebrated, Libraries of Rest proposes a direct engagement with visitors, inviting them to participate in a knowledge-sharing exhibition.
The aim of this exhibition project is to create an inclusive and comfortable space that considers alternative futures, divorced from productivity.
The exhibition is curated by Aoife Donnellan and with a soundscape by Mankyy.
Libraries of Rest is part of Zeitgeist Irland 24, an initiative of Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in Germany.
Image 1: A yellow sticky-note on a white wall with the words “libraries of rest” written in black marker.
Image 2: A black background with a white graphic of the words “Zeitgeist Irland 24.” Courtesy of Zeitgeist Irland 24.
@Zeitgeist_Irland_24@cultureIreland@irlembberlin@ciara_barker_@prodmankyy@aoife_donnellan_
