primal architecture

irish museum of modern art

programme assistant; exhibitions

This exhibition borrows its title from an iconic work by the influential American artist  Primal Architecture (1995) in which the artist uses sculptural forms to map a history of his personal genealogy. 

Exploring ideas inherent in Kelley’s piece this exhibition brings together works by Irish and international artists that elaborate on notions of pseudo-autobiography, consciousness, identity, architecture, power and nostalgia. Since the sixties, contemporary art has been associated with moments or acts of crises and political change. Often these acts have not only affected art, but also mirrored what was happening within the world. This exhibition, Primal Architecture, unfurls in the form of a sequence of episodes or chapters that can be read with relative autonomy, each offering exhilarating interpretations of the human condition and the complex ways we interact and narrate the world around us. 

Primal Architecture will feature artworks spanning across varied media and decades, including installation, video, sculpture, drawing, performance and photography. It includes artists – Mike KelleyJeremy DellerConrad ShawcrossKevin Atherton,LinderJesse Jones and Bedwyr Williams.  For many of these artists this exhibition at IMMA will be their first presentation in Ireland.