GOD by Conor McFeely and Bea McMahon

GOD marks the first collaborative exhibition between Bea McMahon and Conor McFeely. Initially introduced by the Curated Visual Arts Award from The Arts Council of Ireland and Arts Council of Northern Ireland in 2007, both artists exhibited their works in Dublin and Derry under the curation of Mike Nelson. Although they did not get to know each other well at the time, this shared experience has become a reference point for them both.

Bea and Conor share an interest in finding or happening upon materials that stimulate new ideas. These material sources may arise not only from our perceived physical reality (every species, from ants to mammals, perceives the universe in a way that eludes all others) but also from altered states of consciousness, whether through sleep or sleeplessness. A video developed for the exhibition represents a dive into insomniac ruminations. Like Grothendieck, dreams have been a recurring meeting point for the artists. Some works in the exhibition have been extracted directly from the artists' dreams and made physical in The Gallery. For instance, one sculpture references a dream in which a table was laden with fishy snacks. Alexander Grothendieck was believed to view dreams not merely as random mental events but as a means to interface with God and get to know yourself, offering glimpses into reality beyond rationality. GOD seeks to observe the backgrounds that appear in dreams. Backgrounds that shift seamlessly from one scene to the next, setting the stage for whatever reflections come along.

Conor McFeely lives and works in Derry, N.Ireland. He has exhibited widely nationally and internationally. His work incorporates a wide range of processes, from the ready–made to sculpture and installation, as well as photography, video and audio. A fracturing and manipulation of ‘material’ in the service of finding new relationships is a chief characteristic of his practice. Often conceived as multi-layered in terms of their reading, many works have been driven by a consideration of the nature of individual freewill, choice and autonomy. Contexts and source material reflect interests in a history of counter culture, literature and social contexts. The work is cyclical in nature and his recent projects which include Electric Citizen, an Art Arcadia Residency Derry 2022, The Mariner series (ongoing), Pioneers and The Weatherman Projects point to historical episodes of exploration, invention, experimentation, altered states and interruptions of consciousness. His project Azimuth PointZero was shown this earlier year at The Mac, Belfast as part of The Weight of Light, a collaboration with Pascale Steven.

Bea McMahon uses many different media including sculpture, performance, song, dance, moving image and installation, often working in collaboration with others. Trained in mathematics and mathematical physics, she navigates through conceptions of reality and their corresponding appearances in the outside world.