Highlanes Gallery was buzzing with people for the exhibition opening of Empathy Lab, with audiences from near and far anticipating the first glimpses of Colin Martin’s extraordinary paintings, exploring our complex relationship with technology.
This is the first major exhibition of his paintings since 2009, and the Irish premiere; as Empathy Lab was presented at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris last September.
The title ‘Empathy Lab’ comes from an area in Facebook’s EU headquarters in Dublin where employees can express empathy to various causes, through the use of technology.
This body of work explores what the artist identifies as a prosthetic relationship between humans and technology and uses the genre conventions of representational painting to probe the digital age.
The gallery also welcomed deaf visitors as it presented its first Irish Sign Language interpreted event with artists Colin Martin and Alan Butler’s fascinating conversation being signed by Amanda Mohan.
Highlanes director Aoife Ruane was joined by colleague Stephen Hodgins and Board Members, Abigail O’Brien and Sean Cotter and the attentive gallery team in welcoming Colin’s friends, colleagues, supporters, and collectors, all admirers of Colin’s work, with family members travelling from Portmarnock, and Ardee.
There were many artists and creatives in attendance including Breda Marron, Raphael Hynes, Brian Fay, John Graham and Joy Gerrard, as well as art historian Brenda Moore McCann, artist and broadcaster, Cliodhna Ní Anluain, and Poet, Paddy Dillon.
Highlanes Gallery have published a catalogue of the exhibition with an essay by art critic and writer, Tom Lordan who runs the Arts Desk at Totally Dublin and is a regular contributor to the Irish Times titled Redeeming our Catastrophes: Empathy Lab and the Kantian sublime; the books designer, Padraig Cunningham of Pure Designs was also in attendance.
The exhibition continues until 13th April, with many aspects of the gallery’s public programme focusing on the ideas around the exhibition, from Parent and Toddler workshops, to an evening workshop given by the artist himself, and children’s Easter workshops and a talk by art historian Jean Ryan on the artist’s creative process.
Highlanes Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, with free entrance, and a fine café to round off an engaging visit. www.highlanes.ie
