On the Town: Work by artist Mark Clare, inspired by his journeys to Norway, China, Austria and Hong Kong over the past two years, went on view at Temple Bar Gallery and Studios this week.
Entitled Know Thyself, the collection of installations addresses issues of immigration and dislocation as well as perceptions of observed social systems.
After travelling the world, he says: "What struck me was that at the moment there seems to be a huge fear of outsiders and strangers, particularly with the bombings in London, people are afraid."
One of the works, called Another Day in My Kingdom, which explores the marginal position of the immigrant in society, "feels like an optimistic piece to me", he says. "You are wondering what is going on in this traditional dress shop in Trondheim, Norway," which is owned by a group of Asian women.
"It's great, it's whimsical . . . and there's also that socio-political undercurrent," said Ciaran Bennett, art critic and president of the International Assocation of Art Critics, Ireland, of the show. He particularly mentioned the photographs called Mainly People I Guess, which were taken by Bob May, an international aid worker in Palestine, when he was asked to represent his daily routine with a disposable camera posted to him by Clare.
Friends who came to the opening of the show included artists Brendan Earley and John Beattie from Culduff in Inisowen, Co Donegal.
Noel Kelly, deputy director of the gallery and curator of the show, said the "most powerful piece is probably An Answer to a Problem, Volume 1," which comprises a wall drawing of a map of the bombed city of Eribil in northern Iraq along with a book documenting the United Nations resolutions which were passed on Iraq since the end of Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
"It's frightening that there's no mention of people whatsoever," said Kelly, as he leafed through the book.
Know Thyself, by Mark Clare, continues at Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, 5-9 Temple Bar, Dublin 2, until Sat, Oct 1