RTÉ Director General Dee Forbes writes for Culture about artist Jesse Jones, who is currently representing Ireland at the The 57th Venice Biennale, the world’s biggest international art exhibition.
I'm just a great fan of the arts. I've been to Venice before for the Biennale, and for me it's just about seeing the work, the diversity of interpretations, and just absorbing yourself in everything to do with art.
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For me, the Biennale is all about looking, seeing, getting inspiration, and just wandering around Venice. It's a beautiful city. Now, The Venice Biennale is not everyone's cup of tea. You do get a little bit googly-eyed by the whole thing, because there is so much to see. You really have to choose. We were exhausted by the end. This year, I saw a lot of installation work - scale seemed to be a constant theme. Damien Hirst's installation (Treasures From the Wreck of the Unbelievable) was just extraordinary. I loved it.
What it showed again was that Ireland is a contender. We're not on the fringes. We're right at the centre of the discussion.
Jesse Jones' piece (Tremble Tremble) was absolutely stunning. I knew nothing about her work beforehand, to be honest. It's very strong, and very emotive. It's also very much of the now, given what's going on here in Ireland. It's a very interesting interpretation, taking something from a long time ago - the idea of the witch - and then bringing it forward to how the legal system is working here in Ireland today, for women. It's a powerful concept, and (performer) Olwen Fouéré is just stunning in the piece. She brings this incredible presence. The space is relatively small, but the work has a massive impact. It's the kind of thing that you have to go back and see a couple of times, because you have to listen very carefully, to absorb the work. It's very powerful. There were people in tears watching and listening to it.
The reaction there has been fantastic. I met Tessa Giblin, the curator from Project Arts Centre, and met Jesse herself, as well as the Culture Ireland people, and I think they all seem very happy with the reaction they've been getting. Jesse is lovely, and she's very grounded. Her work is really well thought through, and beautifully realized - it's a great platform for her. She was saying that more people had seen her art in Venice then had ever seen it before.
For me, what it showed again was that Ireland is a contender. We're not on the fringes. We're right at the centre of the discussion. I think what Jesse really showed was that she can hold her own with the best in the world - and she's a relatively young artist. She showed that we can tell a story, and that we can do it in any medium. She's taken an older idea and made it very contemporary in the way that she's interpreted it. We need more work like that, and Venice is a great place to showcase what we're about. As a platform, it's just incredible. I wish everybody could go.
It's just a phenomenal event. If you can, get on the plane and go to Venice for a weekend. You have great art, great food, great weather, great company. What more do you need?
Jesse Jones: Tremble Tremble runs until November 26, 2017 at the Irish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale - more info here.
