HOG - Hungry Obnoxious Guy
Commenting on American culture, HOG uses excerpts from the Hollywood film Groundhog Day to construct a repetitive narrative that is intended to loop indefinitely, just as the central character in the film Groundhog Day was trapped in a continuous loop of one day. It emphasises an aspect of the human condition (desire for food), whilst also drawing attention to how the consumption of food as a substance, phenomenon and basic necessity can inevitably become an obsession
SIBS 1 - Crouching Esther Hidden Katie
Not only is SIBS 1 a meditation on how Hollywood can affect and influence society, it is also much more specific to a type of sibling rivalry between two young girls (O'Kane's younger sisters). They are naturally caught up in a mixture of mutual dependence and competitive rivalry. The repetition foregrounds the frustration that this can cause, whilst the play-fighting highlights the aggression that can become manifest.
(Text: heroes + holies catalogue, 2002)
Heroes and Holies was curated by Thai curator Apinan Poshyananda who in his introductory essay wrote, “Irish heroes and martyrs play integral roles in the dissemination of national pride. Their heroic or saintly deeds are emphasised, while their weakness and faults are overlooked or forgotten” [taken from Apinan Poshyananda’s introduction to the 2002 catalogue].
Heroes and Holies included Open EV+A (with 53 selected artists), Invited EV+A (with 20 internationally established artists from Asia, Europe and the USA), and Young EV+A. The four EV+A 2002 prizewinners – Amanda Coogan, David Dunne, Niamh McCann and Ciarán O’Doherty – travelled to Bangkok, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore on art residencies.
As part of the programme of events, Young EV+A departed from the format followed in previous years, EV+A employed three artists to engage in a six week residency in three post-primary schools in the city, with an exhibition at Belltable to coincide with EV+A 2002. Limerick City Gallery of Art, in conjunction with EV+A, presented a series of lectures on contemporary art during the exhibition run. The lectures included a dynamic series of presentations by critical thinkers, artists and curators on a variety of issues. They ranged in subject matter from the aesthetic of 1970s bungalows to the philosophy of architecture; from a historic overview of audio arts to new concepts of curatorial practice. Apinan Poshyananda gave a keynote presentation on ‘Heroes + Holies’, his rationale towards EV+A 2002, while Annie Fletcher discussed recent curatorial projects in Belfast and Dublin.