Biography - Joanna Hopkins
Joanna Hopkins works predominantly in video, photography and installation, with a focus on interactive works. She has exhibited widely across Ireland and Northern Ireland, and was the first recipient of the recent Visual Artists Ireland and Digital Art Studios Belfast Residency Award. She was a recipient of the 2013 Mayo Arts Office Tyrone Guthrie Bursary. Recent solo exhibitions include ‘Polarise’ at Catalyst Arts Belfast, June 2013. Recent group exhibitions include 'Illusion' at Science Gallery Trinity College Dublin, 2013 and the CATA Project at Eva International 2012. Upcoming exhibitions for 2014 include The Science Centre San Diego and Discovery Place in North Carolina, USA.
www.joannahopkins.com
Joanna Hopkins works predominantly in video, photography and installation, with a focus on interactive works. She has exhibited widely across Ireland and Northern Ireland, and was the first recipient of the recent Visual Artists Ireland and Digital Art Studios Belfast Residency Award. She was a recipient of the 2013 Mayo Arts Office Tyrone Guthrie Bursary. Recent solo exhibitions include ‘Polarise’ at Catalyst Arts Belfast, June 2013. Recent group exhibitions include 'Illusion' at Science Gallery Trinity College Dublin, 2013 and the CATA Project at Eva International 2012. Upcoming exhibitions for 2014 include The Science Centre San Diego and Discovery Place in North Carolina, USA.
www.joannahopkins.com
Project Overview - Joanna Hopkins
Location – Front Window, Patrick Fahys' Giftware, Main St.
Archive - Castlebar Cinema archive for the month of April at the Linenhall.
Hopkins has carried out a thorough research project gathering information from the public, including interviews, images and newspaper articles referencing one of Castlebar’s first Silent Cinemas, the Star Picture Palace. Located on Main St. from 1919 to 1923, it was situated behind what is now Patrick Fahy's Gift and Hardware Shop. The silent cinemas in the 1920’s featured local musicians who played improvised music to accompany the screenings of the films. Hopkins will utilise the still existing space to create a piece of film work that pays homage to a local Pianist, Grace Delayney, who played in the cinema. A specially commissioned piece of original music by Grace’s great grand daughter, Dee Gavin, will be performed, referencing the 1918 Irish film ‘Knocknagow’, the first film that was screened in the Star Cinema.
This revised and playful merging of silent films and music intends to pay tribute to the local musicians who played here and to uncover the hidden cinematic history of this building. The film work will be revealed through a specially adapted ‘invisible’ screen, which the audience must seek out in order to view the work. Hopkins will use the Gallery Space at the Linenhall for the month of April as an open studio to further research the history of cinemas and film in Castlebar, and invites the public to contribute with stories, images and articles.
With warmest thanks to Mary Fahy and family, and Dee Gavin and family for their generous time and contribution to this project.
Location – Front Window, Patrick Fahys' Giftware, Main St.
Archive - Castlebar Cinema archive for the month of April at the Linenhall.
Hopkins has carried out a thorough research project gathering information from the public, including interviews, images and newspaper articles referencing one of Castlebar’s first Silent Cinemas, the Star Picture Palace. Located on Main St. from 1919 to 1923, it was situated behind what is now Patrick Fahy's Gift and Hardware Shop. The silent cinemas in the 1920’s featured local musicians who played improvised music to accompany the screenings of the films. Hopkins will utilise the still existing space to create a piece of film work that pays homage to a local Pianist, Grace Delayney, who played in the cinema. A specially commissioned piece of original music by Grace’s great grand daughter, Dee Gavin, will be performed, referencing the 1918 Irish film ‘Knocknagow’, the first film that was screened in the Star Cinema.
This revised and playful merging of silent films and music intends to pay tribute to the local musicians who played here and to uncover the hidden cinematic history of this building. The film work will be revealed through a specially adapted ‘invisible’ screen, which the audience must seek out in order to view the work. Hopkins will use the Gallery Space at the Linenhall for the month of April as an open studio to further research the history of cinemas and film in Castlebar, and invites the public to contribute with stories, images and articles.
With warmest thanks to Mary Fahy and family, and Dee Gavin and family for their generous time and contribution to this project.
