LCGA first opening at the Carnegie Building: of De Blacam and Meagher

Commissioned by the Irish Architecture Foundation, the exhibition that represented Ireland at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition 2010 in Venice, opens at the Limerick City Gallery of Art on Thursday 17 November at 7pm. The exhibition will be opened by Merritt Bucholz, Professor of Architecture, University of Limerick.

Ireland’s participation at Venice, and the exhibition’s return to Ireland for this national tour, is an initiative of Culture Ireland in partnership with the Arts Council/AnChomhairle Ealaíon. This is the last venue in the national tour of Ormeau Baths Gallery in Belfast, Lewis Glucksman Gallery in Cork and Dublin City Gallery: The Hugh Lane.

“of de Blacam and Meagher” examines the built and unbuilt portfolio of the Irish architecture practice, de Blacam and Meagher, over the last 33 years. It was curated by Tom dePaor, Peter Maybury, Alice Casey and Cian Deegan, and commissioned for the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2010. The exhibition takes the form of a book unbound, containing volumes of drawings and photographic reproductions from the archive, contemporary photography and readings of the works with commentaries. As both archive and reading room, the space is furnished with items from the de Blacam and Meagher archive. Members of the public are invited to read the work and take it away. Over time, the stacks of paper are depleted, until finally we are left with only the furnishings. The archive will, in essence, be consumed.

Two short films by Ruán Magan, one about the installation in Venice, and the other with interviews from the commissioner and curators, will be displayed during the exhibition.