20 April 2022: Portrait of Nation: Art Politics and the Anglo-Irish Treaty
Dates: 22 and 23 April 2022
Location: National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks.
As Ireland reflects on some of the most difficult and contested histories of the Decade of Centenaries, a major conference entitled Portrait of a Nation: Art, Politics and the Anglo-Irish Treaty takes place on 22nd – 23rd April 2022, exploring the intersection between art and politics in the context of the birth of the new Irish state.
Organised jointly by the Hugh Lane Gallery and the National Museum of Ireland, the conference takes its inspiration from 'Studio & State: The Laverys and the Anglo Irish Treaty ' currently on exhibition until December 2022, itself a collaboration between these two institutions, marking the centenary of the signing and ratification of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
This conference brings together a broad range of speakers - historians, artists, writers and curators - to share, discuss and debate themes from the background to the signing of the Treaty in London in 1921 to its legacy and impact on ordinary Irish people; from questions around memory and trauma to the role of the artist as witness to history.
The conference will be livestreamed on 22nd - 23rd April as well as taking place in person at the National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks.
“The conference is a collaboration between the education teams at each institution” explained Helen Beaumont, Education Officer National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks “and working in partnership has been a wonderful opportunity for us to bring an amazing group of speakers together to explore this fascinating space where art, history and politics connect. It’s also brilliant to be able to have a conference onsite at Collins Barracks again, though audiences will also be able to engage online, as it will be live-streamed.”
Jessica O’Donnell, Head of Education at the Hugh Lane Gallery, said “The Hugh Lane Gallery is delighted to collaborate with the National Museum on this exciting conference. Sixteen stimulating illustrated presentations will explore diverse aspects of the Treaty through the lens of art, politics, society, family, music, sport and more to produce a rich and varied tapestry of perspectives which we hope our audiences will enjoy.”
Speakers invited include historians Dr Sinéad McCoole, Dr Mary McAuliffe and Professor Paul Rouse; writers Gretchen Friemann, Flor McCarthy and Valerie Cox; and artists Anthony Haughey, Amanda Dunsmore and Niamh McCann.
Tickets to the conference can be booked on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/portrait-of-a-nation-art-politics-and-the-anglo-irish-treaty-tickets-305523668517
Free online admission.
There is a limited number of places available for onsite attendance at Collins Barracks
€5 per day
Notes for Editors:
Portrait of a Nation: Art, Politics and the Anglo-Irish Treaty
PROGRAMME
Friday 22nd April
9am Registration
9.15am Welcome, Dr Audrey Whitty, Deputy Director and Head of Collections, National Museum of Ireland
9.30 - 10.30am Truce to Treaty in Ireland
Mark Duncan - Chair
Gretchen Friemann - From self-proclaimed Republic to reluctant Dominion: The imperial realities behind the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty
Dr Sinéad McCoole - Unreal? Who were the Laverys and what was their Nation State?
10.30 - 11am Coffee
11am - 12.40pm Politics of Identity and Place
Dr Leeann Lane - Chair
Dr Mary Staines - Identity and Place in the Treaty Debates
Dr Conor Morrissey - Protestant nationalists, and Protestant servicemen, and the Treaty
Dr Mary McAuliffe - Recognise that it was 'Sister against Sister' too! Splits, divisions and violence between women during the Irish Civil War, 1922 - 1923
Dr Cormac Moore - 'The Root of all Evil' - Northern Irish Nationalists and Unionists' reaction to the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty
12.40 - 2pm Lunch
Continues/overleaf
2 - 4pm Cultural legacy of the Treaty
Dr William Shortall - Chair
Niamh McNally - Estella Solomons - Still Moments
Terry Moylan – “Those in power don't write the songs”
Dr Éimear O'Connor - Art, Ireland and the Irish American diaspora: Tensions in representation between 1922 and 1930
Professor Paul Rouse - Sport on a partitioned island: The Tailteann Games
Saturday 23rd April
9.30am Registration
9.45am Opening Words - Dr Edith Andrees
10am - 11.15am Divided Families
Dr Georgina Laragy - Chair
Flor McCarthy - A Family on Both Sides - and the ripples through a Century
Liz Gillis - They Place their All on the Altar of their Century: The Hales Brothers and the Irish Civil War
Valerie Cox - Ordinary People in a time of War
11.20 - 11.45am Coffee
11.45am - 1.00pm The Artist as Witness
Logan Sisley - Chair
Niamh McCann - foreground, middleground, background
Amanda Dunsmore - Art making as Longitudinal Social Archiving
Anthony Haughey - Socially Engaged Art: Contesting Cultures, Histories and Narratives
HOW TO BOOK: Fee: €5 per day ticket for attending the conference in person at Collins Barracks or free for viewing live online. Tickets are available via Eventbrite here https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/portrait-of-a-nation-art-politics-and-the-anglo-irish-treaty-tickets-305523668517
Requests for further information
Helen Beaumont, Email: hbeaumont@museum.ie T: 087 2044375
Jessica O’Donnell, Email: jodonnell.hughlane@dublincity.ie T: 01 2225558
About the National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History
The National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History is located at one of Dublin’s most impressive, historic sites. This former military barracks is home to two fascinating and completely diverse collections. Decorative arts encompasses silver, ceramics, glassware, furniture, clothing, jewellery and coins while the military history collection tells of Ireland’s military and revolutionary past. Admission is free.
Website: www.museum.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalMuseumofIreland
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NMIreland
Instagram: @nationalmuseumofireland
About the Hugh Lane Gallery
Hugh Lane Gallery in Parnell Square houses one of the leading museums of Irish and International art in Ireland. The gallery’s renowned collection begins with 19th century European art, with an emphasis on French landscape painting and French Impressionist paintings, through to contemporary art practice. It also has an extensive Irish art collection and continues to support contemporary art in Ireland and internationally. Francis Bacon’s studio and collection is on permanent display and Sean Scully, the Dublin born international contemporary artist, is celebrated with a room specially dedicated to his art. The gallery programmes both historical and contemporary exhibitions and organises dynamic engagement programmes across the city’s diverse communities as well as art education projects in the gallery.
Website: www.hughlane.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thehughlane
Twitter; http://www.twitter.com/thehughlane
Instagram: thehughlane
YouTube: Hugh Lane Gallery