NeXus Arts

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NeXus Arts

NeXus Arts aims to curate contemporary visual arts exhibitions & events that engage the public with both thought provoking and challenging art work.

NeXus Arts is an artist led independent curatorial duo initiated in June 2009 by artists Declan Kelly and Els Borghart that works in a local, national and international context while based in Drogheda, Ireland. We initiate and develop contemporary art projects, either independently or in association with cultural institutions. Our starting point is always to advocate the work of artists we believe

to be critically relevant to our times, while looking at the art world from both a curatorial and an artist point of view. A nexus is many things. For us it is a connection point or series of connections creating inspiring and thought provoking artistic conduits. We use this concept of the nexus to engage both artist and audience through the wide spectrum of contemporary art practice while exploring diverse notions of time and space. We are fluid and organic in our approach, however we believe it is imperative to adhere to an ironclad integrity. It is our mission is to promote artistic, intellectual & cultural exchange through ambitious curatorial activity including exhibitions, international exchange, publications and public participation. We collaborate with artists in productions encompassing a range of curatorial models: genres of display and presentation; diverse locations; forms of production and programming; as well as theoretical and interpretative contexts. We have developed curatorial strands using innovative concepts treated as time-sensitive transmissions, seeing the artist-run approach as vital to our identity. Projects include Now & Everything In Between, a travelling group exhibition shown in Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda and Galway Arts Centre, Galway (2014); GapFill: More Beauty, More Happiness, a site specific solo exhibition in Drogheda of works by Alan Magee and in Partnership with Highlanes Gallery (2013); The Sleep Concert, A 12 hour overnight site specific audio-visual performance by Steven Stapleton, hosted in Towney Hall Drogheda and curated for Drogheda Arts Festival (2014). NeXus Arts has worked with artists based in Ireland, Germany, the UK and Italy. NeXus Arts was awarded the festival commission of Drogheda Arts Festival in 2013, received the Curator in Residency Award from the Arts Council Ireland in 2013 and has received continuous support from the Louth County Arts Office. NeXus Arts has partnered with institutions such as Droichead Arts Centre, Highlanes Gallery, Galway Arts Centre, Create Louth and Drogheda Arts Festival on various projects and events.

02/05/2019

** Glimpse of the visuals **

The visuals of Ten Plagues have been developed over the course of 3 months and will be on show for the very first time on Sunday the 5th of May at the Drogheda Arts Festival, while premiering in the Republic of Ireland! So excited to share this with you all!

Here is a peek into our world... these are video stills, so expect immersive moving images on a large scale!

28/04/2019

** Ohh, let the count down begin **

5 Days to the performance of Ten Plagues at the Drogheda Arts Festival.

In case you missed it. Ten Plagues is...

🔹 A captivating experience of contemporary classical music composed by Conor Mitchell
🔸 16 songs telling the tale of the great plague written by Mark Ravenhill and performed by Matthew Cavan
🔹 This award-winning polemical work uses the Great Plague to talk about the AIDS crisis of the 1980’s
🔸 Immersive visuals that will bring you on an hour long journey, made by Els Borghart and Declan Kelly

Tickets are flying out the door, so it's time to get yours if you don't want to miss it!!!

👉 https://droghedaartsfestival.ticketsolve.com/shows/873600939

27/04/2019

** A little glimpse in the creative process. **

The making of a visual experience for Ten Plagues requires a deep dive of us artists into the subject. So we spent plenty of time watching documentaries, reading books, listening to stories, asking people questions, compiling visuals and shooting video footage.

Throw all these ingredients in the cocktail shaker that is the artist's brain, shake thoroughly for a few months. The result?

🍹Come and taste it on the 5th of May! See you there?

25/04/2019

** Have you heard of The Belfast Ensemble yet? **

Though pretty new on the scene, this is an evolving collective of highly experienced UK/Irish musicians, actors and visual artists. The Belfast Ensemble is one of the freshest, most dynamic voices on the Irish/UK stage. They explore new ways to experience performance, both for their assembled artists and the audience.

We have been working with them since 2018. Join us for their immersive and contemporary Ten Plagues performance that we are bringing to the Drogheda Arts Festival on the 5th of May!

A little sneak peek here, but the visuals will be totally new though!! Commissioned by the festival and created by us!

23/04/2019

We have been developing atmospheric video work for the Ten Plagues production by The Belfast Ensemble.

We also spent a lot of time shooting video footage in and around Drogheda that will be subtly integrated into the show’s contemporary visuals...

Curious? Come and see for yourself 🤩... on the 5th of May that is during the Drogheda Arts Festival!

21/04/2019

** About Ten Plagues **

This is a contemporary songbook consisting of 16 songs written by Mark Ravenhill and composed by Conor Mitchell.

We are creating a visual experience for each song. So we immersed ourselves in the history of the 1665 London Plague and the 1980's AIDS crisis: the transience and fluidity of life, the facts, the emotions, the tragedy, but also how tragedy brings out the better in people.

Expect to experience a surreal and wonderful show of contemporary piano music, singing and large scale immersive video projections.

19/04/2019

For those of you who didn't know yet and for those who already know....

We have been making artwork in a performance and theatre context with The Belfast Ensemble for the last 12 months. It's been a roller coaster and we have enjoyed working with top class creatives on a few productions now! But pretty chuffed we can bring one of the shows to Drogheda very soon!

So we have been working behind the scenes on the development of a whole new visual experience as part of Ten Plagues, a contemporary songbook written by Mark Ravenhill and composed by Conor Mitchell. Legends!

The performance with its new visuals will be on show at Drogheda Arts Festival on the 5th of May!

17/04/2019

* A little bit of world history peeps *

Did you know that one of the main places the Great Plague of 1665 entered the island of Ireland was through the port of Drogheda?

This is one of the main reasons why we wanted to bring the Ten Plagues production by The Belfast Ensemble to Drogheda and actually integrate this history in the visuals of the show.

This performance takes you on the journey of the great plague linked to the AIDS crisis of the 80's through a series of beautiful songs, contemporary piano music composed by Conor Mitchell and immersive visuals created by Declan Kelly and Els Borghart.

15/04/2019

We would love to take the opportunity to thank Drogheda Arts Festival to award us, aka The Belfast Ensemble, this year's commission!

We are truly grateful to have been working on developing a whole new visual experience to Ten Plagues, a production by The Belfast Ensemble specifically for this festival.

Tracing one man's journey through a city in crisis, Ten Plagues charts the great plague of 1665. Part torch song, part Schubert, this ground-breaking piece of music-theatre was written by composer Conor Mitchell and playwright Mark Ravenhill. This award-winning polemical work uses the Great Plague to talk about the AIDS crisis of the 1980s.

For the Drogheda Arts Festival, the link of the great plague entering the island through the port of Drogheda has been developed as part of the show while artists Declan Kelly and Els Borghart have created an entirely new visual experience for the performance.

Tickets? The time is now...
https://droghedaartsfestival.ticketsolve.com/shows/873600939

12/04/2019

MEET THE BELFAST ENSEMBLE

This top team is directed by composer Conor Mitchell and we am proud to be part of it! Our Ten Plagues production will be performed in Drogheda of all places, with Conor himself and Matthew Cavan on stage... on the 5th of May.

Making work since 2017, The Belfast Ensemble is an evolving collective of UK/Irish musicians, actors and visual artists. Putting music and visual arts at the centre of our work, we explore new ways to experience performance, both for our assembled artists and our audience.

Founded in 2016, The Belfast Ensemble is one of the freshest, most dynamic voices on the Irish/UK stage. We make work with exciting, current artists of several disciplines working towards a single vision: cutting edge music-theatre that reflects our world around us NOW.

07/09/2018

Us, in London, super proud to have been invited by YMT UK as part of The Belfast Ensemble to design the visuals and costume for ‘The Barrack Room Ballads’ with NeXus Arts. This production was performed at The National Army Museum in Chelsea, London.

I am sure Rudiyard Kipling would have been proud to see and hear this show based on his poems, with 38 talented cast members and an orchestra of 7 pro musicians. Thank you Conor Mitchelll for composing and directing this magical production.

Address

Drogheda

Website

http://www.nexusarts.eu/

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