Amanda Dunsmore: AGREEMENT

Photo: Blaine Campbell

Amanda Dunsmore: AGREEMENT

May 21 – August 23, 2024
Mitchell Art Gallery, Edmonton

Mitchell Art Gallery presents AGREEMENT, a new exhibition featuring artworks from Irish artist Amanda Dunsmore’s research-intensive practice that investigates societal transformation via portraiture. AGREEMENT is on view at Mitchell Art Gallery from May 21 through August 23, 2024.

Following the signing of the Belfast ‘Good Friday’ Agreement on April 10, 1998, Dunsmore began a dedicated practice of filming video portraits of each of the fourteen signatories—a creative process that took two decades to complete. The resulting artwork, AGREEMENT (2004 – 2023) asks for a similarly committed viewership: seeing the work in its entirety would require weekly visits, as each portrait is being screened for a single week during the fourteen-week exhibition.

Over twenty-five years have now passed since the signing of this landmark document, and today, contemporary conflicts are witnessed globally in the form of viral photos and seconds-long videos on social media. Dunsmore’s work asks us to be present in the gallery with each of these portraits that represent divergent perspectives, and to return for weeks, echoing the labour and dedication required by the signatories to keep returning to the table and come to an agreement, and the ongoing work in Irish communities to keep the peace to this day.

Using time-based media, Dunsmore’s work punctuates how there is no shortcut to fully grasping the complex social ruptures left in the wake of colonialism, and how time, relationships, and sustained attention are key ingredients in building trust and understanding in service of positive change.

The portrait on view as part of artworks AGREEMENT and MEMENTO-AGREEMENT will change every week during the run of the exhibition. The schedule of portraits can be found on our website. Mitchell Art Gallery will be observing summer hours until August 23 – we will be open Tuesday to Friday from 12 – 5 p.m., with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of Culture Ireland.

Photo: Blaine Campbell

Artist Talk and Reception
Wednesday, June 19 | 6 – 9 p.m.

Please join us on Wednesday, June 19 at 6 p.m. for an artist talk with Amanda Dunsmore at Betty Andrews Recital Hall, followed by a reception. The artist talk will be livestreamed and recorded, and an ASL interpreter will be present. This event is free to attend and all are welcome. Please visit our website for more information and accessibility notes.

This programming is generously supported by the Consulate General of Ireland.

About the Artist

Amanda Dunsmore studied at the Newport College of Further Education, South Wales, 1986-87, the Ulster University, Belfast, 1987-1991 and the University of Limerick, 1999-2000. She lives in County Clare and is a Lecturer in Fine Art at Limerick School of Art and Design, TUS, Ireland.

Since 1992, Dunsmore has exhibited internationally including Signs of Life’ the inaugural Melbourne International Biennial, Australia (1999); Aabenraa Biennial (2012), Denmark; Galerie Coac, Berlin Germany (2005) ; IDAO/Kara Hughes Gallery, Chicago (1992, 1995, 1996, 2005); Plug In Gallery, Winnipeg, Canada (1997); ArtHouse, Sydney, Australia (2000); KunstRaum Goethestrasse, Austria, (2008, 2009, 2019); International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Genève, Switzerland (2006); Motorenhalle, Dresden, (2005) and ACC Gallerie, Weimar, Germany (1997, 1999, 2019). In Ireland; at The Model (2022), Sligo; Crawford Art Gallery, (2007, 2014, 2023, 2024), the Triskel Art Centre, (2005) Cork; the Hugh Lane Gallery (2018), the Royal Hibernian Academy/RHA (2018), Rathfarnham Castle (2006) NCAD Gallery (2009), Dublin; Regional Arts Centre, Donegal (2019); Bourne Vincent Gallery, University of Limerick, (2019, 2024); Void Gallery, Derry/Londonderry (2005); Belfast Exposed Gallery of Photography, (2020); Ulster University, Belfast, (2023); Omagh Baths Gallery, Belfast, (1997, 2005) Northern Ireland.

Amanda Dunsmore’s work has been supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, The British Council, (UK) and the Arts Council of Ireland, Dublin City Council, Galway County and City Council and Culture Ireland. Her artworks are held in national and international public collections and she is represented by ACC Galerie, Germany, for the major public artwork PLAN and collaborates through public art commissions, with social practice organisation/gallery KunstRaum xtd, Linz, Austria.

John & Maggie Mitchell Art Gallery
Room 11-121, Allard Hall, MacEwan University
11110 – 104 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada

mitchellartgallery@macewan.ca
Instagram: @mitchellartgallery

The Mitchell Art Gallery and Allard Hall are accessible spaces. Detailed accessibility information can be found on our website. The artist talk will include ASL interpretation.