Ireland’s ‘best contemporary art’ to be showcased at Dublin fair

A 9,500-euro chair made with the same historic Irish slate used in Westminster Abbey will be among the main attractions at a new art event in Dublin.

Designed by award-winning Limerick architect and furniture designer Edwyn James Hickey, the Valentia Slate chair is being exhibited by Dublin’s Sol Gallery at Art Evolve at the RDS.

The new art fair, running from April 4-6, will see members of the Contemporary Art Gallery Association (CAGA) and other established galleries bring the best in Irish and international contemporary art under one roof.

Involving 70 galleries and artists, it will also feature an installation by street artist Maser, showcasing various chapters of his working life and offering visitors the chance to engage with the artist.

The slate chair was conceived after Hickey, a Limerick-born designer, learned that there had been a quarry on Kerry’s Valentia Island when he was visiting for a work project.

He researched further and found massive chambers of stone reminiscent of Skellig Michael, which he said transported him to a different world.

The quarry, which first opened in 1816, once employed more than 450 people.

In 2018, it was bought by Killarney geologist Dr Aidan Forde and stone is once again being quarried there.

Last year, Valentia Slate was given global designation as a heritage stone and was most recently used on the roof of The Rubrics building in Trinity College Dublin.

It also provided slates for the construction of international landmark buildings such as the Paris Opera House and London’s Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Weighing 210kg, Hickey’s Valentia chair, which he made last year, uses the slate on two side pieces, and the seat is made of highly engineered and folded steel with luxury black German leather upholstery.

“It’s super comfortable, my work is about making things practical as well as aesthetically pleasing,” he said.

“It is a statement piece. This is going to be a rare stone in the future. There’s not an endless supply of it. When people buy a piece like this, they’re buying into that.”

Other artists whose work will be shown at the fair include Cork-born painter Tom Climent and renowned Italian artist Sandro Chia.

A piece by celebrated sculptor Rowan Gillespie, who is widely known for his Famine Trilogy, the commemorative sculptures on Custom House Quay in Dublin, will also be among the major attractions of the show.

Show organiser Patrick O’Sullivan said Art Evolve will highlight the latest work by Ireland’s best living artists in an immersive setting.

“It is the ideal opportunity for collectors and the culturally curious to experience some of the best contemporary art currently being created in Ireland and to get some expert advice from leading galleries,” he said.