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Stunned on Arthouse closure : national |
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 Friday July 26, 2002 14:57 by Stunned
 Met the artists whose shows were interrupted 'squat the place' I said but they were 'polite' artists In the end it's the staff who pay the price while board members* will jump to their next board appointment and continue to screw things up. From Stunned.org online Irish art tech zine Arthouse closure I was artist in residence in arthouse last year for six months What I found was a lively place with a throughput of Irish and International artists both on residencies and just passing through to use the facilities, a great staff who battled against non existant budgets and a board who seemed to have no understanding or appreciation of the quality of the work being done. There were many problems including tiny budgets and a building that was inappropriate for it's function (it'd be a killer mobile phone salesroom though, watch this space) and way beyond their means but chief among the self inflicted problems was either an inability or an unwillingness to communicate what was actually being done every day at Arthouse. This reticence came from the highest level and in the end when the final rescue appeals went out they fell on deaf ears because if nobody knows what it is you do why should they care? In the end it's the staff who pay the price while board members* will jump to their next board appointment and continue to screw things up. As for digital art funding in Ireland now that Arthouse is gone the powers that be in the Department and the Arts Council are going to say well we tried that new media stuff, didn't work - went the same way as the dot com boom I don't think we're going to see any replacement soon. *I exclude the artistic director from this
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Comments (3 of 3)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3First dockland (documentary festival) and now this! Quietly and quickly the best center (only really) for new media and digital art is going the way of the dodo.
Will this effect Darklight?
Aidan
Now that the team that performed so well on the National Stadium (Paddy Teahon and Laura Magahy) have decided to convert Thomas St. / James St. into the newest white elephant, it's little wonder that the Arthouse has been ditched.
What self respecting senior civil servant / urban consultant would want to be involved with a functioning, open, small scale multi-media arts project when they can put the budget and energy into a 500m project that will make their reputation.
Of course, given that these are the same people who awarded (and received) some of the dodgiest contracts in ireland for a while, maybe the motive is not just ego. I'd say it would be hard to rip too much money off the Arthouse.
does anyone agree that more than enough time and money are spent on sport here and would be better spent maintaining places such as the arthouse?
Take the nice (but never used to its full potential) building on the quays which formerly house the virgin store, I'm told it's going to be made into a nightclub. Exactly what dublin needs.
Another Stadium and another massive pub/nightclub. Still, dispite recent economic sucess, if you don't like sport and don't want to drink you are pretty limited to possible activities in town. Given the accepted issues with alcohol in Ireland surely more diverse and rewarding means of entertainment should be given assistance? Not just more pubs and more sport. We have both in abundance.