NO IN

Non-stop actuation for Fire Station Artists’ Studios’ curatorial project Inner Art.

18 September 1997

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Actuation from noon through to midnight at the Greek Temple Façade, Sean McDermott Street, Dublin.

‘Inner Art started with the premise that the work should not be compromised by its situation. Too many projects that are well meaning in their extent to “help” particular areas end up with the artist being little more than a teacher in an extended classroom. By not extending their target audience, they also run the risk of being condescending to that audience.

For Inner Art, the artists would be expected to make actual works of art out there in the environment that was used daily by people who would become the main audience for the project. The artists would be expected to work in an uncompromising but relevant way. It seemed clear from the beginning that the relevance of the works to the people and the area would be crucial. To this end artists were given a political and geographical background of the area before being asked to submit proposals.

More crucially, once at the Fire Station, artists were given access to local people themselves through liaison – so that the works grew out of a process of discussion between the artists and the “audience”. […]

As the project progressed the artists drew strength and confidence from the community. The community in turn become more integrated with “their” exhibition.

It was the strength and critical awareness of the audience combining with a growing confidence in the artists that was the most memorable and for satisfying thing about the whole project.’

Text from Fire Station Artists’ Studios’ website.