This article is from page 33 of the 2008-01-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 33 JPG
SUSI SeRCibeCoKone chm PIMs INN Oats people of rural Clare are viewed by outsiders forms the subject of a new installation which opened last week at the X-PO project in Kilnaboy.
Mr and Mrs Krab’s Utopia is a vid- eo-based installation by east Clare artist Amanda Dunsmore, which ex- plores the opinions of a Dutch cou- ple who have made rural Clare their home.
The installation came about as part of Clare County Council’s Ground Up Project, in which Dunsmore con- ducted a series of interviews with people who have moved into the ru-
ral areas of the county.
“Mr and Mrs Krab were perfect for this project, they are such open and endearing people. They have led an interesting life themselves before they got to Clare and they are very straight with their opinions, but also quite humorous,” said Amanda.
“They had had a very tough time working in Holland. Mr Krab had been suffering from depression. But they came on holiday to Clare and suddenly the depression lifted. After that holiday it became their dream to come and live in Ireland.
“They also have a unique view of how rural Ireland has changed over the last number of years: from the
amount of time that people have to the changes that have come around with drugs in rural Ireland.”
Mr and Mrs Krab’s Utopia is the latest exhibition to take up residency as part of the X-PO Project in the old Kilnaboy post office. The project, which is the brainchild of local artist Deirdre O’Mahony, is attempting to reactivate and record the community interaction that once formed around local post offices.
“It is always interesting to get an outsiders perspective of ourselves,” continued Amanda. “As part of this installation I recreated the post of- fice counter from three of the origi- nal drawers.
“The video piece is being shown on a very small monitor in the top drawer. All the technology is hidden, so when you walk in you hear the sound and you have to go over to the counter, open the drawer and watch the video.”
Meanwhile, Local Ground, an exhi- bition by Deirdre O’Mahony, is cur- rently running in the Siamsa Tire in Kerry. In this exhibition O’ Mahony examines the reality of rural life in the light of social and ecological changes in the west of Ireland.
X-PO is open from 2-5pm daily and is funded by the Arts Council, an Chomhairle Ealaionn and Super- Valu.