Rua Red

Patient Labyrinth, a new artwork and exhibition from Junk Ensemble in Rua Red Galleries, is both a maze and a labyrinth - exploring the delicate boundary between two worlds: the one in which we lose our way, and the one we try to find our way out of.

The exhibition weaves together myth, folk magic, and ritual to explore how we navigate uncertainty, entrapment, and transformation. As our constructed and natural world unravels to near collapse, we rely on storytelling as a tool for connection, a tool for protection. The labyrinth is a mirror, a code, a key, a tensabarrier, a narrative and a fabrication, a reflection of ourselves and our worlds.

Drawing from the Greek myth of Ariadne’s thread and Mincéirí / Traveller folklore, the exhibition unfolds as a labyrinth within a labyrinth where the five elements mark the thresholds - each an echo, a path, a memory, a reminder.

‘The patient labyrinth of lines traces the lineaments of his own face’ — Jorge Luis Borges

The exhibition is marked by durational performances with dance artist Róisín Harten on Friday, 12 December, and Friday, 16 January, who will thread, wind, and rewind her way throughout the spaces on a loop.

On Friday the 16th, Junk Ensemble launch the 'Patient Labyrinth' publication featuring a response essay by Jesse Jones, with poetry by Oein DeBhairduin and Julia O’Leary O’Reilly. The launch will also feature an additional performance by Junk Ensemble, performed by Roisin Harten.

On Thursday 22 Jan, a screening of a film by videographer Luca Truffarelli on the process and research behind Patient Labyrinth, followed by a panel conversation with Jessica Kennedy and Megan Kennedy (Junk Ensemble) and visual artist Jesse Jones.

Junk Ensemble is a multi-award winning Dublin-based dance theatre company founded by identical twin sisters Megan Kennedy and Jessica Kennedy. The company is committed to engaging diverse audiences through the creation and presentation of brave, imaginative, and accessible work that sheds light on important human issues relevant today.

Current Aerowaves Europe Artists, Associate Artists at Project Arts Centre, Resident Artists at Rua Red Gallery, and previous Artists-in-Residence at Tate Britain, Junk Ensemble has built a reputation as one of Ireland’s leading voices in dance. JE frequently collaborates with artists from other disciplines to produce a rich mix of visual and performance styles that challenge the traditional audience/performer relationship. This approach has led to productions being created in non-traditional or found spaces as well as more conventional theatre spaces. The company often work directly with communities in the creation and performance of their work. Their work has toured to New York, Europe, UK & Ireland.

Admission to the gallery is free. Rua Red is proud to be supported by the Arts Council, South Dublin County Council, Creative Ireland, and the Government of Ireland; Project Ireland 2040.

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