MAKING ART: Sculpting is the fifth and final in a series of exhibitions at Draíocht (2018-2023) which explores a specific visual art discipline, its materials, processes and varied manifestations in contemporary practice. This exhibition focuses on expanded notions of sculpture from four mid-career Dublin based artists; Bassam Issa, Sibyl Montague, Alice Rekab and Marcel Vidal, spanning sculpture, painting, text and textiles.

Material parables explores the stories that materials tell. The expectations and relationships our bodies have with physical matter – that which takes up space and can be weighed – ranging from the natural to the synthetic. The soft materials featured are light, supple and delicate while the hard materials are bold, sharp and strong. Each artists’ material choice and scale further speaks to each of their conceptual concerns, ranging from personal identity to the social and political. The proximity of these objects and processes juxtapose the various identities of sculpture today.

“Contemporary sculpture equips our understanding and experience of the world through material. Whether the ‘things’ you find on or around you are 3D printed, synthetic textiles, clay from the earth or recycled wood, sculpture expands the textural pallet through which we understand the world.”
Sara Muthi, Curator and Dublin-based Writer