We live, capriciously enmeshed in a world of things. In the process of human becoming, both artists and archaeologists, as skilled negotiators, mediators and translators of things, have opportunitiesto steward, provoke and subvert our intra-relationships in the shared ecologies of our world. Today, artists and archaeologists are turning towards each other to exchange experiences, narratives and revelations. This exhibition celebrates new and also longstanding relationships between art and archaeology through the practices and processes of contemporary artists.


Continuing the collaborative exhibition of contemporary art and archaeology established by the Rosc exhibitions in Ireland in the 1960s and 70s, Ábhar agus Meon turns towards the rich etymologies of the Irish language to present the challenge of negotiating, mediating and translating the relationships entwining humans and things. ‘Ábhar’ carries meanings of not only materials and matters but also subjects and themes, while ‘meon’ hints at mentality, ethos, spirit and temperament. Rather than merely asserting polarisations of mind and body, the theme Ábhar agus Meon suggests a multiplicity of intra-relationships between mutually indistinguishable conceptions of things and thoughts.

Ábhar agus Meon will happen in spaces throughout the Belfield campus of University College Dublin and resonate with the curatorial programmes of some of the leading arts, cultural and heritage institutions of Ireland. Its purpose is to provide a rich context for Ireland’s hosting of the 6th World Archaeological Congress in June and July 2008. It will provide an opportunity for local and international artists to share work with a global audience as part of a dynamic and unique programme of events within the arts, cultural and heritage calendars in Dublin and Ireland in 2008. Through a curated programme of visual arts exhibits, temporary and permanent installations, performances, demonstrations, workshops, web-based exhibitions and field trips to rural arts projects, Ábhar agus Meon will explore the materials which constitute things, the tempering of materials through artistic and archaeological processes, the shared subjects of artistic and archaeological inquiry, the collaborative spirit of artistic and archaeological endeavours, the ethos of artistic and archaeological mediations, and the mentalities represented, constructed and subverted through artistic and archaeological expression.
Calling all Artists / Archaeologists
The curatorial staff of the Ábhar agus Meon / Materials and Mentalities exhibition are issuing an open call for submissions of work from practicing artists and archaeologists. The exhibition will explore synergies between artistic and archaeological processes in the mediation of materials. It will be held in Dublin, Ireland during the month of July 2008 to coincide with University College Dublin’s hosting of the 6th World Archaeological Congress.
The deadline for submissions is 14 October 2007. Information, submission guidelines and forms are available at: http://www.amexhibition.com.
You may also contact the exhibition staff at: info@amexhibition.com
Further information on the 6th World Archaeological Congress can be found at: http://www.ucd.ie/wac-6