Bolay Residency 2022 - Dominic Thorpe
The Linenhall Arts Centre (Castlebar, Co. Mayo) is very pleased to announce visual artist Dominic Thorpe as the recipient of this year’s Bolay Residency. Thorpe is the third recipient of the annual residency and was selected from among 98 other applicants this year.
Dominic Thorpe works in performance art, as well as drawing, video, photography, installation and relational processes. He has performed and shown work widely, including at Bangkok Cultural Centre, Galway Arts Centre, the Golden Thread Belfast, Mobius Boston, Gallery Michaela Stock Gallery Vienna, and the SASA Gallery Adelaide. Thorpe has undertaken several commissions and residencies, including residencies at the Nordic Arts Centre, the Fire Station Artist Studios, and was first artist in residence in humanities at UCD. Thorpe’s work has addressed a range of critical content, including migration, institutional abuses, conflict, perpetrator trauma and youth suicide. He has regularly engaged with artist run initiatives as well as inclusion and education-based projects. Thorpe has worked in a number of public collections, including the collection of the Arts Council of Ireland.
Commenting on the award, Thorpe said: “I feel very grateful and excited to be awarded the Bolay residency at this time. For several reasons, I have largely withdrawn from making and showing new work in recent years. The resources, space and time afforded through the Bolay residency is an incredible opportunity to fully re-engage with my practice. The intention is to make a new body of sculptural and installation work related to perpetrator trauma and the Irish civil war”.
The Bolay Residency is a residency opportunity open to artists based in Ireland and Northern Ireland and is a uniquely supportive residency, focused on artists who feel disconnected from their practice. The residency encompasses a purpose-built studio, accommodation, tailored mentorship, a purpose-built digital suite, an artist fee of €8,000, a materials budget of €2,000 and an exhibition opportunity at the Linenhall in 2023. Thorpe will begin the Bolay Residency on 24th October 24 2022 for a period of 8 weeks ending on 18th December 2022.
The open call for the residency received 98 applications and was assessed by a panel consisting of Catherine Hemelryk (curator and Director of CCA Derry-Londonderry); Joanna Hopkins (artist and Linenhall Visual Art Panel Member); Séamus Nolan (artist and curator); Aoife O’Toole (Public Art Coordinator for Mayo County Council); Hazel Walker (artist and Lecturer at ATU Mayo) and Sean Walsh (Director of Ballina Arts Centre). The selection panel noted the exceptionally high standard of proposals received.
The Linenhall Arts Centre is delighted to announce the awarding of two residencies in 2022. Multidisciplinary artist Valerie Asiimwe Amani has also been awarded the first ever Linenhall International Artist Residency.
Interim Director, Fiona Neary looks forward to welcoming both Amani and Thorpe to The Linenhall Arts Centre: “The Linenhall is excited to support both artists in their practice. Hosting residencies is a very important part of our role at The Linenhall Arts Centre. We are excited at the potential for practice exploration and development for Amani and Thorpe.”
The Linenhall International Artist Resisdency 2022 and the Bolay Residency 2022 are kindly supported by the Arts Council.