National Gallery of Ireland launches artist residency with fashion designer Richard Malone

As part of the public programme for summer exhibition Giacometti: From Life, Irish artist and fashion designer Richard Malone today begins an artist residency at the National Gallery of Ireland. Working on site at the Gallery for the months of June and July, Malone’s artistic response to the work of sculptor Alberto Giacometti will be free for the public to visit throughout the month of August until the exhibition closes on 4 September 2022. The Gallery is also delighted to announce a new partnership with Arthaus Hotel, a boutique art-inspired hotel in the heart of Dublin.

From Wexford and based in London, renowned designer Richard Malone will explore Giacometti: From Life and create a contemporary response to the artist’s life and work in this residency. A research period in consultation with Gallery curators investigating Giacometti and exploring archives has already been completed. Excitingly, the format of the response which will be on display to the public for the month of August will be revealed in the coming weeks as Malone works on site in the Gallery’s Education Studio.

Throughout June and July when Malone is on site, drop in sessions for the public will take place. The studio will be open to all for the month of August, when the artist’s response will be on display. Admission is free. As well as public drop-ins, a series of activities will take place with invited communities, individuals and groups. The programme is designed to be as diverse, equitable, accessible and inclusive as possible. The Gallery will work with schools to facilitate tailored tours, as well as other communities and groups such as women’s sewing groups, youth groups and youth forums, dementia support groups and users of Irish Sign Language.

Malone seeks to explore human truths and performed falsities in his practice. Through garment making, drawing, writing, textiles, weaving and performance, Malone often crosses the borders of rigidly defined artistic outputs. His work as a fashion and textile designer has won numerous accolades and is held in some of the world’s most important collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) New York, The Victoria and Albert Museum London and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.

Upon beginning his artist residency at the Gallery, Richard Malone said: “I am excited to begin the onsite artist residency, reacting and engaging with the studio practice of Giacometti. Over the past year of planning, I have already had many rewarding conversations with the Gallery’s Education and Curatorial teams, discovering exciting crossovers and synchronicities between our studio work, especially in relation to the body and form. I hope this dedicated period of time can accommodate experimental and bold conversations, renegotiating the expected uses of studio space.”

Sinéad Rice, Head of Education at the National Gallery of Ireland, added: “Artist residencies at the National Gallery of Ireland are designed to connect contemporary Irish arts practice and research with historical artists, exhibitions and collections. Since 2017, residencies have provided space, support and opportunity to respond, experiment and create. We are so thrilled to welcome acclaimed artist and designer Richard Malone to the Gallery this summer to respond to our wonderful exhibition Giacometti: From Life. We hope that Richard’s work will encourage our audiences to explore the exhibition and the Gallery in a new way.”

David O'Connell, Sales & Marketing Director at Tifco Hotel Group, commented: "The Arthaus Hotel & Tifco Hotel Group are thrilled for this opportunity to support the Giacometti exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland. Exhibitions such as this further enrich the cultural experiences available for visitors to Dublin, whilst also supporting the promotion of the city as an international destination of culture. We are honoured to have as our guest a designer of such international acclaim as Richard Malone and hope that he will be able to take time out to enjoy the hotel's celebration of design and art that is strongly influenced by the Bauhaus movement and early 20th Century Irish and international artists."

Arthaus Hotel is the Giacometti Artist Residency Accommodation Partner. A short stroll from the Gallery, the boutique hotel is the perfect space for visitors to extend an art-themed afternoon or weekend following a visit to Giacometti: From Life.

Giacometti: From Life runs at the National Gallery of Ireland until 4 September 2022. The exhibition displays more than 50 works by Alberto Giacometti including bronze and plaster sculptures, paintings, drawings, and prints. It is co-organised by the National Gallery of Ireland and the Fondation Giacometti. Tickets are from €5, with free entry on Mondays before 2pm.

For more information on Giacometti: From Life, the artist residency and a full list of programmed events, see www.nationalgallery.ie.

Media contact:

Cian Doherty, Drury T +353 1 260 5000 | M +353 87 772 6678 [email protected]

Notes to Editor:

• Images are available on request.
• Richard Malone is available for interview.
• Sinéad Rice, Head of Education at the National Gallery of Ireland, is available for interview.

Gallery opening hours:

Monday: 11am – 5.30pm / Tuesday – Wednesday: 9.15am – 5.30pm / Thursday: 9.15am – 8.30pm / Friday – Saturday: 9.15am – 5.30pm / Sunday: 11am – 5.30pm

Exhibition information:

Giacometti: From Life
Beit Wing, National Gallery of Ireland
Until 4 September 2022
Tickets from €5 (entry is free on Mondays, 11am-2pm)
Giacometti: From Life is co-organised by the National Gallery of Ireland and the Fondation Giacometti.

About Richard Malone

Richard Malone is an Irish artist and designer from Wexford, Ireland. Malone’s artistic practice seeks to explore human truths and performed falsities, experimenting with exaggerated forms and sculptural works that seek to be animated or engaged with. Malone’s practice includes garment making, drawing, writing, textiles, weaving and performance, often crossing the borders of rigidly defined artistic outputs. Malone is interested in the overlaps of contemporary society with the ancient - ritualistic practices that are informed by a collective consciousness. Malone’s work often explores the idea of the ‘ether’, a transient place of creativity or reaction that cannot be defined. More recently Malone's work has explored the limitations and possibilities of language and symbolism, as well as the idea of multiple truths existing within one object or identity - including gender, sexuality, motion, sound and personal or collective histories. Malone's work as a fashion and textile designer has won numerous accolades including The International Woolmark Prize, British Fashion Council Fashion Trust and NEWGEN awards, and been twice nominated for the LVMH Prize. Malone’s work is held in some of the world’s most important collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) New York, The Victoria and Albert Museum London and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.

About the National Gallery of Ireland

The National Gallery of Ireland is one of the country’s most popular visitor attractions housing the nation’s collection of European and Irish art from about 1300 to the present day, and an extensive Library & Archive. Entry to the collection is free for all to enjoy, learn and be inspired. www.nationalgallery.ie

About Arthaus Hotel

Honouring the spirit of the world famous Bauhaus school of art and design which aimed at uniting Art and People, the Arthaus Hotel exhibits a rich tapestry of art and design woven throughout by a series of artists, craftsmen and skilled workers in a contemporary setting. An art trail is integrated throughout the property to delight the guest and stimulate thought about our context in the world at large. In the words of one of the most famous Bauhaus teachers, Paul Klee, “Art does not reproduce what we see. It makes us see.'' Arthaus Hotel hopes it makes you see the world in a different way as well. The hotel has been designed to be a stylish sanctuary with substance and a cheeky twist. On a monochrome backdrop, layers of intense colours, geometric design elements and delicate naturalistic pieces create together an unapologetically plush and opulent space for guests to enjoy. www.arthausdublin.ie