Monobloc Chair

This spring, we present a touring exhibition that interrogates our current and future relationship with this material.

Plastic has great power, and with great power comes great responsibility. It has changed our daily lives and our environment more than any other material. Its use has revolutionised industrial design, and more essentially, modern medicine relies on plastic so heavily that even the most basic medical procedures would be unimaginable without it.

The unsustainability of our relationship with plastic is well documented, but to stop using plastic is not an option.

The question is, can we utilise this wonderful, terrible material, while fundamentally changing our approach to living with plastic?

The exhibition features the work of over thirty national and international artists, designers and scientists, as well as a newly commissioned work facilitated by artists Patrick Mulvihill, Heather Griffin and Ciarán Bonner, with the local community in Drogheda in a co-creation process, the artwork - A Giant Leap - reflecting the cultural history, place and relationship between the people and their environment.

PLASTIC is produced with the support of Science Foundation Ireland, and is Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin’s first national touring exhibition.

Ahead of the exhibition’s presentation in Drogheda, in early 2020, a Special Primary School Programme took place where two classes from Marymount N.S. & artist Claire Halpin visited the original exhibition in Dublin and following a series of workshop sessions created a range of 3D and written work in response. This will be presented online during the run of the exhibition.


A Giant Leap

Heather Griffin, Patrick Mulvihill & Ciarán Bonner

A SPECULATIVE EXPLORATION OF NEAR FUTURE DROGHEDA

Life-saving, polluting, flexible, toxic and resilient. Plastic is a material riddled with contractions symbolic of our modern world. What will Drogheda look like in the future if we continue on a growth fuelled business-as-usual trajectory? What new industries, customs and cultures will emerge?

A Giant Leap is a window into this near future world. It’s 2069, and the city of Drogheda has prospered as the home of Ireland’s first spaceport and the world renowned guild of polymer technologies. Destiny Corporations ‘BeInfinite’ life extension programme is at its infancy. Eleanor, the first transcendence candidate, has just completed phase one of her journey. This immersive installation invites you to step into Eleanor’s world.

This future scenario is conceptualised and designed through a place based co-creation process, historical research, psychogeography and stories of peoples lived experience and tacit knowledge of past and present day Drogheda. With special thanks to collaborator Julian King - 3D sculpture.


PLASTIC Opening Event

Join exhibiting artists, the Science Gallery Team & special guests for a 30 minute opening talk with contributions on the themes, artworks and ideas.

Chaired by Philip Smyth, National Project Coordinator, PLASTIC

Friday 29th January at 12noon - @ic-exhibition-opening-event-tickets-136413884601


PLASTIC Guided Tours – Family

In early February, parents, take a break from home-schooling and join Erin one of the Science Gallery’s Mediator Team for a (free) educational and thought-provoking guided tour of PLASTIC.

Dates and Times:

Wednesday 3rd February at 12noon - @ic-online-guided-tour-tickets-136410510509

Wednesday 10th February at 12noon - @ic-online-guided-tour-tickets-136411342999


PLASTIC Guided Tours & Zine Making – Second Level

Teachers, book ahead for March guided online tours of PLASTIC. You can avail of two options, the tour & zine-making session as three sessions, over three weeks, or a once-off tour. The gallery is open to matching with your class schedule so simply email Aoife Ruane, [email protected]

Скачать видео