Moments of beauty and contemplation

Located in the heart of Georgian Dublin, The National Gallery of Ireland houses the national collection of Irish and European art. Its symmetry is a sight to behold, with doorways that appear to go on forever.

Located in the heart of Georgian Dublin, The National Gallery of Ireland houses the national collection of Irish and European art. Its symmetry is a sight to behold, with doorways that appear to go on forever.

by Cathy Buckmaster

While museums and galleries are temporarily closed in Dublin, we wait with bated breath for their reopening — because in a world where open spaces remain an integral element for our much-decayed social lives, we can take solace in the ubiquitous gallery; a public space that can provide the thrill of a cultural excursion, a collective activity, a catch-up with friends or even a first date.

Here we pay tribute to the beauty of public art and the quiet contemplation it encourages. Spanning from Naoshima to Helsinki, below are some choice artworks and exhibits that have taken place over the last few years.

 
 
Yayoi Kusama’s Yellow Pumpkin (1994) sits at the end of a pier overlooking the sea on the contemporary art island of Naoshima — one of 12 rural islands on Japan’s ‘arty-pelago’.

Yayoi Kusama’s Yellow Pumpkin (1994) sits at the end of a pier overlooking the sea on the contemporary art island of Naoshima — one of 12 rural islands on Japan’s ‘arty-pelago’.

A light-soaked room in The Alvar Alto House, Helsinki. Once the home and workspace of the iconic architect and designer, it now serves as a museum in which enthusiasts wander.

A light-soaked room in The Alvar Alto House, Helsinki. Once the home and workspace of the iconic architect and designer, it now serves as a museum in which enthusiasts wander.

A snapshot of Anthea Hamilton’s The Squash (2018) in Tate Britain, London. The performers-as-vegetables would traverse the white-tiled floor throughout the day, creating a striking juxtaposition with the gallery’s neoclassical architecture.

A snapshot of Anthea Hamilton’s The Squash (2018) in Tate Britain, London. The performers-as-vegetables would traverse the white-tiled floor throughout the day, creating a striking juxtaposition with the gallery’s neoclassical architecture.

On the cobbled streets in Athens, art is all around you so don’t forget to look up — you might spot a classical Greek sculpture staring right back at you.

On the cobbled streets in Athens, art is all around you so don’t forget to look up — you might spot a classical Greek sculpture staring right back at you.

A view of Powerless Structures, Fig. 11 (2015) by artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset in the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen.

A view of Powerless Structures, Fig. 11 (2015) by artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset in the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen.

A woman observes Mother and Child (1921) at the Musée Picasso in Paris — a subject the artist often returned to throughout his different periods.

A woman observes Mother and Child (1921) at the Musée Picasso in Paris — a subject the artist often returned to throughout his different periods.

A view from inside the yellowbluepink installation by Ann Veronica Janssens, as part of the States of Mind (2016) exhibition at the Wellcome Collection, London. The installation saw a room in the gallery filled with thick, vibrantly coloured mist wh…

A view from inside the yellowbluepink installation by Ann Veronica Janssens, as part of the States of Mind (2016) exhibition at the Wellcome Collection, London. The installation saw a room in the gallery filled with thick, vibrantly coloured mist which obscured depth of vision.

Images: Cathy Buckmaster
@cathybucko

ARTAlhaus magazinefeature Oct 20