A Numbness in the Mouth, an exhibition of new film and photographic work by Kevin Gaffney, opens at the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar on Friday July 15 at 7.30pm.
A Numbness in the Mouth is a new body of work by Kevin Gaffney, the first Irish recipient of a prestigious Sky Academy Arts Scholarship. The centrepiece of the exhibition is a 17 minute film in the Irish language which takes place in an Ireland of the near-future; a self-sustaining, militarized, island where climate change has benefited agricultural production.
A spokesperson for the government’s Ministry of Food, Gráinne, performed by RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta broadcaster Sinéad Ní Uallacháin, informs us that rations are being enforced. Due to a record crop yield of wheat there is a surplus of flour on the market. To retain economic balance between supply and demand, each citizen is requested to consume more than five pounds of flour per day.
Following this governmental ruling on consumption, the film moves to Lily, played by Scottish performer Jenny Swingler, sifting flour on to her own head as the mill’s machines swing around her. Later she bathes in a vat of orange jelly while reflecting on how food affects her temperament.
Shackleton’s Mill in Strawberry Beds, Dublin, provides the context for the film’s two protagonists to explore the role of women in the mill, alongside our relationship to food and its production in a series of staged scenes, monologues, and analogies.
Kevin Gaffney's work is part of the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s collection and has been shown in exhibitions and film festivals internationally.
A Numbness in the Mouth will be officially launched on Friday July 15 at 7.30pm. Admission is free and all are welcome. The exhibition runs until Saturday, August 20.
The Linenhall Gallery is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm and on Saturday from 11am to 5.30pm. Admission is free. For further details call (094 ) 9023733 or visit www.thelinenhall.com
