A video installation at the main gallery of the TULCA Festival in Galway says: "Everything is Art".
That’s one of the ideas that the contemporary visual arts event is exploring as part of its most extensive programme to date.
From paintings, sculptures and drawings to videos, installations and works in glass and ceramic, the festival has a mind-bending array of material on show.
It features the work of almost 30 artists, most of them Irish. They were selected from more than 550 practitioners, who applied to have their creations displayed at TULCA 2014.
There’s an international aspect too, with the likes of Turner Prize winning artist Mark Wallinger’s 'Sleeper' project getting a run at the Nuns Island Theatre.
All the exhibitions are free to enter and take place across six venues in Galway City Centre.
Organisers say a schools education programme has been particularly successful so far this year, with groups of primary and second level students being introduced to the range of visual arts on display.
Some, like the nailbrush on a wall at the Niland Gallery get quizzical looks. Others, like a specially designed room where the walls close in on occupants once they enter, have been receiving more immediate responses.
The Chairperson of the Festival, Maeve Mulrennan, makes the point that artists want to communicate with their audiences.
They're not setting out to be wilfully obscure or difficult and she says visitors to the exhibitions leave with a sense of having participated in something that’s both entertaining and thought provoking.
The festival takes place as Galway gears up to bid for the European Capital of Culture in 2020.
As part of the preparation for that endeavour, people involved in the arts community are being invited to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of such a designation.
Those working on the bid say there’s a strong focus on ensuring it leaves a lasting benefit and helps enhance the city’s artistic standing in the years ahead.
The lead consultant on the bid process, Dr Patrick Collins of NUI Galway, says TULCA plays an important part in that debate.
He says that people's enjoyment of the arts should be central to the city’s approach and – at the very least – the festival brings a visual treat to the eyes of those who visit.
TULCA runs until 23 November.
