The Dublin Community Blog

From today on you will be able to see a vast selection from the Natural History Museum’s collection in Collins Barracks. As the original Natural History building on Merrion street is closed for renovation, the museum have decided to set up this temporary exhibition for the time being.
A mix of familiar and new animals and geological specimens will be there to greet you!

Opening hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10:00-17:00 and Sunday 14:00-17:00 at Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7

While everyone is talking, twittering and typing about the Budget 2009 that was announced today, and as the direct impact of it on Dublin itself is not yet measurable (and about Dublin this blog is, young Jedis) I’ll write about something more pleasant: One City, One Book.

Now in its fourth year, Dublin: One City, One Book is a project designed to encourage everyone in the city to read the same book during the month of April each year. The project promotes reading in a city which boasts one of the world’s greatest literary heritages including four Nobel Laureates.

And this year we are encouraged to read the one book that introduced that ebony-fanged count and expert impaler from Transylvania to Victorian readers, 60’s horror movies and our collective consciousness; all dreamed up by a theatre manager who used to live on Kildare Street here in Dublin. Of course I’m speaking about “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. You’ll find a list of activities linked to this project and the novel at the official website; events including several exhibitions and walks plus a screening of F. W. Murnau’s classic silent movie “Nosferatu” including musical accompaniment.

So I’ll see if I can find my old second hand copy of that fascinating book somewhere – and hey, who couldn’t use some escapism in these dire times. Especially when the real-life vampires are already circling our paychecks…

If you like your fashion with a side of science or something more serious then this is a good week to be in Dublin.

Opening at the TCD Science Gallery (if you’ve haven’t called in yet, go, go go!) is Technothreads, an exhibition about “the creative sparks that fly when the worlds of fashion and science collide”. What to expect? Shirts that hug you, the mathematics of design, 3D fabrics and ‘living’ clothes. Some more:

“The exhibition offers viewers a glimpse into the future of fashion in a world where Biotech and Nanotech are combined with traditional craft and Haute Couture skills. With work from designers such as Walter van Beirendonck, Yoshiki Hishinuma and Freedom of Creation, it promises to show off the most innovative, cutting edge and exciting designers the world has to offer as well as raising issues for global debate, such as the use of tissue culture to produce semi-living clothes.”

It opens on Saturday.

Two nights before Technothreads, on Thurs 24th, Fashion Evolution is happening. It’s a public debate about ethical fashion and it’s taking place at The Button Factory from 6.30pm. Speaking at it will be Katherine Hamnett, the lady behind all those political tees, the most recent of which is “no more fashion victims”. It will be followed by music from the very fab Dirty Epics, Star Little Thing and a few others. Tix , from here, cost €12. Get updates about the goings on by joining the event on Facebook.

The Rathmines Festival kicked off on the 14th of this month and will pick up again today, finishing late on Sunday night. The festival features a variety of events, workshops, and galleries, all happening along Rathmines Road (Upper and Lower) just south of Grand Canal. Most events are free and those that come with a price tag (like some music performances) never rise above a tenner. Dance, theatre, literature, music, photography, film, sports, history – there really does seem to be something for just about everyone!

For more, including a downloadable schedule, surf over to the festival website at www.RathminesFestival.com. Alternatively, the good folks at Cafe Moda have agreed to allow the use of their coffee shop as the festival club house, so if you happen to be in the area, stop by for brochures, booking, or any other information.

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In all the melee and mess of Paddy’s day and its related celebrations, there is one exhibition that you should defo take time from your shamrock-wearing schedule to check out.

Every weekend this month, Gallery Number One on Castle Street, D2, will be showcasing the work of Belgian-born New York-based pop artist Daniel Dens. To sweeten the deal, they’re throwing some cool choons from resident DJ Alex Donald and even a free Innocent smoothie!

The Sophia Loren silkscreen pictured here is in the gallery’s window and has been drawing quite a few punters in. (As beautiful as it is, I don’t think I have the €1,200 asking price handy.)

Also on show will be 70s Rock ‘n’ Roll photographer Mick Rock’s collection of limited edition pics of David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Lou Reed and Debbie Harry, as well as work by Irish-born artist Ciaran Tully who now lives in New York.

It’s great when art galleries do stuff like this. They are very eager to show that art is something to be enjoyed and appreciated, not just purchased; so don’t be afraid to call in, even if, like me, you’re completely broke!

You can see some pics from their first smoothie Saturday on their Flickr page.

Well, Catherine mentioned about it come time ago and so…. it happed.

Maybe it was not extremely popular, but people who ‘got frozen’ were visible. And for one ‘freezing performer’ there was one photographer.

Cheers to all brave ones!

Oisin Gallery presents sculptures of Willard Wigan.

Thanx to poet Nell Regan I’ve learned yesterday about this spectacular exhibition.

The show is really eye catching because you have to look at art pieces through the microscope!! It started just last Friday and unfortunately tomorrow is the LAST DAY.

So hurry up, go to Westland Row an the back of Trinity College to get stunned as well.

New paintings of Polish artist Katarzyna Gajewska in Origin Gallery

The Chinese New Year festivities are about to begin in Dublin as the city welcomes year 4076 of the traditional Chinese Lunar year. Chinese New Year is considered to be the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays and falls on the first day of the first month of the Chinese Lunar year. This year the New Year day arrives on February 7, 2008. It will be the year of the Rat, which is the first of the 12 year cycle of animals that form the Chinese Zodiac related to the Chinese New Years.

The Dublin Chinese New Year Festival Association (DCNYFA) has organized various events to celebrate the holiday. The first of these begins tomorrow (February 1, 2008) with the launch of a Chinese film ‘Still Life’ by directory Jia Zhangke in the Irish Film Institute, Temple Bar. This film is part of a seven-day Chinese film festival. Other events in various locations around the city include a Chinese arts and crafts show, an event celebrating Chinese literature and music, launch of a 2008 Beijing Olympic pack at UCD Sports Centre, international table tennis and badminton tournaments, dragon boat racing, lion dances, stage plays, and a three day Chinese carnival in Smithfield. The closing ceremonies will take place on Monday February 11, 2008 at 6m in Smithfield Square.

I believe that this is first time that a Chinese New Year festival is being held in Dublin and I have no doubt that it will be successful. We should all welcome the festival and make an attempt to attend at least some of the various events. We wish a very Happy New Year to the Dublin Chinese community!

A complete brochure with more details about the festival is available here.

Grand Canal Square, originally uploaded by HolaHolaCherryCola (Nathalie Márquez Courtney).

This looks pretty cool – it’s a “festival of light” that’s taking place in the crazy neon green, red stick laden Grand Canal Square next week. What with the walky men on O’Connell Street and now this – it’s all about the light shows at the moment isn’t it?
It’s called the Hive, and has been created by KMA (Kit Monkman and Tom Wexler), who, I’m told, are the digital artists behind some v. cool installation in London’s Trafalgar Square. It will take place between the 1st-9th of Feb from 5pm to 10pm as part of Lightwave, the TCD Science Gallery festival (more on this later). Say the Docklands dudes:

“This is a newly commissioned public artwork consisting entirely of projected light and sound through which you, the audience, come and go. By entering you take control of one part of an interactive fantasia driven by your movements and the changing rhythms and timbres of the music. Drawing you in to explore the rich mix of sound and light, the Hive imagines a number of encounters with otherworldly life forms and environments.”

Woo woo.