Paul Murnaghan | Artist in residence September – October 2008
In autumn 2008 Murnaghan travelled through Finland and some of its neighbouring countries on an utopian endeavour, to compose a universal hymn. He set up meetings using arts groups, databases, media and word-of-mouth and asked the question: ’If you had the opportunity to compose the opening line of a universal hymn, what would it be and how would you sing it’?
The concept of a universal hymn is a flawed one, but at the same time it functions as a device or catalyst to begin a dialogue in each new situation. The installation at Platform uses several disciplines as is typical of Murnaghan’s practice. The scale and form of the wooden sculpture evokes some past monumental ideology while the three separated video works construct a triptych of intermittent dialogue. This work continues to explore fragmentary points of intersection between the spiritual, scientific and the psychological.
Paul Murnaghan is a Dublin-based artist, curator and intermittent composer. His practice emanates from a fascination with the psychology of individual and collective memory, the artifice of reminiscence and conditions that contribute to specific belief structures. This process has led him to advertise his memory capacity for sale (Memorious, 2006) or to publish a contract detailing the commission of an artwork that no one would ever see (Auto Da Fe, 2007).
Murnaghan’s projects rarely happen without other people and the generosity of exchange. When viewed as a whole his work can be seen as an attempt to access a universal, subliminal dialogue.
Neocredo is supported by Platform and The Irish Arts Council with assistance from FRAME in Helsinki and The Estonian Acedemy of Arts in Tallin.
