Dempsey for Hugh Lane / Streep to the rescue / Codex pulls (Wednesday 18 July 2007)

compiled by Rachel Simmons

Michael Dempsey to take position at Hugh Lane Gallery

The Hugh Lane Gallery has recently appointed curator Michael Dempsey as Head of Exhibitions. According to the press release, Dempsey will be working "with an ambitious and diverse programme" there, as well as towards the Gallery's centenary in 2008 and the Francis Bacon Centenary for 2009. Also next year will be an exhibition of the 39 paintings which make up the Hugh Lane bequest of 1917, currently held at the National Gallery in London. This loan will mark their first exhibition in Dublin since 1913, when they were displayed at Clomell House, Harcourt Street.

Streep to boost MAC

Looking well-pleased about the announcement for the new MAC are, from the left, Anne McReynolds, Director of the Old Museum Arts Centre, Right Honourable David Hanson MP, Minister for Culture, Arts & Leisure, and Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, image held here.

The latest in Belfast's efforts to rehabilitate, a new, multi-million-pound Museum Arts Centre (MAC) is being built in the heart of Belfast's Cathedral Quarter and it is set to have "one of the largest and most versatile exhibition spaces in Northern Ireland," at approximately 1,000 square meters. Scheduled to open in 2011, this new MAC is being built by the trustees of the Old Museum Arts Centre (OMAC) and will include not just the large visual-arts space, but also two theatres, dance / rehearsal / project studios, a café, bar, and public access areas, according to this week's press release. It is being designed by Belfast-based architects Hackett and Hall, who won the international design competition.

According to the press release, MAC is being supported by the Lottery Fund, Arts Council for Northern Ireland and the Departement for Culture Arts and Leisure and will "be the key component in the St. Anne's Cathedral area's regeneration." MAC's Project Director, Anne McReynolds, has said, "We now have the opportunity to raise our game significantly by building the new arts centre. The MAC will have the impact of raising Belfast’s international reputation as a fun, cultured and fresh city with plenty of unique experiences to offer." MAC is also working in partnership with the University of Ulster - who are to be their neighbors at the new space - exploring visual-arts strategy together.

Interestingly, MAC is also receiving support from actress Meryl Streep, who plans to visit Belfast the weekend of August 18 in order to help close a £1.25 million funding gap; according to the press release, the actress is responding to an invitation from Project Director Anne MecReynolds and says she believes that "the importance of the arts to the re-emergence and identity of a society is incalculable."

Despite warnings to Da Vinci Code fans, Codex Leicester pulls record numbers

Images from the Codex Leicester, which includes da Vinci's observations and theories about water and bodies of water, rocks, light and other scientific principles; here are two such sketches, one looking at the flow of water in Diverting a river, and the other at the light properties of the moon, in The secondary light of the moon , images held here and here.

No matter the medium, da Vinci draws the crowds. His Codex Leicester is currently on display at Dublin's Chester Beatty Library, until 12 August, and having opened 13 June has already attracted record crowds; according to the press release, over 40,000 people have been to see the exhibition, Leonardo: the Codex Leicester, in its first 30 days. The staff at the Chester Beatty are understandably excited about the number of visitors; Director of the Library Dr. Michael Ryan said, "We have never experienced crowds like this at the Library and I am glad to say that our booking and crowd-control systems have worked effectively. Our negotiations over a six-year period to bring this exhibition to Ireland have been overwhelmingly endorsed by the numbers of people turning up to see it."

The Codex Leicester is the only one of da Vinci's notebooks that is privately owned, this one by Bill Gates, and it visits just one country a year; this is the first time it has been on exhibition in Ireland and it is unlikely that it will return any time soon. Ryan also stated that the visitor's have been thrilled with the exhibition, but the announcement about the number of visitors the Codex is receiving causes us to recall another announcement made shortly before the exhibition opened. As reported here earlier, the same Michael Ryan warned away visitors who might be coming to see the exhibition because of the recent novel and film, The Da Vinci Code, making it clear that the two had no connections whatsoever. While the response to the Chester Beatty's exhibition is terrific, one has to wonder just how many Da Vinci Code fans listened to Ryan's caution.

Most recent news items:
• Like to be Director of VAI? / Dutch art eBayed (Friday 13 July 2007)
• Arts Council confuses / 'the Splasher' confuses too (Tuesday 10 July 2007)
• Droit de suite working somewhat / Egypt gets tough (Friday 6 July 2007)
• Some things we missed: IACA shortlist / Minister for fun / doctorate for Campbell Sharp (Tuesday 3 July 2007)

For a full list of news items, click here.

Latest reader feedback:
News item 624  The idea of exhibiting a group of objects bought on eBay, though ...
News item 617  It'd be interesting to see how many visitors attended the gallery...
News item 603  re. Comment 2 - most people who get turned down for grants have t...
News item 603  'sour grapes aside, what are culture ireland up to?' i think we n...
News item 606  hang on a minute... surely the feller who won the prize at art st...
News item 603  As someone who received a grant from Culture Ireland this year, f...
News item 602  try and make work that doesn't topple over in future!...
News item 595  My objection is to the way the words 'young' and 'emerging' are s...

(For fuller feedback list, click here.)

Do you have an opinion on this article? If so, please click here for our comments form.

Responses so far
Comment 1	I hope the visual arts people behind MAC are astute. There's a long history of multidisciplinary art spaces starting out with plenty of room for the visual arts, only to see that space steadily eaten into by other artforms as the plans approach being turned into bricks and mortar.

Back to top of page