Artist
Phelim Hoey
Phelim Hoey (b. 1984) is an Amsterdam-based visual artist, who studied documentary photography at the School of the Arts in Utrecht, the Netherlands. In his first days at art school, Hoey experienced the early symptoms of MS, a neurological illness with which he was formally diagnosed a few months later. His practice took on new meaning as a possible agent of healing, offering an important creative outlet for studying his condition, and for tracing his ever-changing relationship to his body. Incorporating a varied range of media – photography, film, ceramics or sculptural installation – Hoey’s work can be read as a form of conceptual storytelling. In fragile materials, or delicate still-lives depicting precariously-balanced objects, his works are wrought with vulnerability and tension. Hoey’s images have featured in a range of publications, including Foam Magazine, The British Journal of Photography and LensCulture.
Website: www.phelim-hoey.nl
Instagram: phelimhoey
La Machine
Autonomy and independence are considered important in our society, and often form a big part of one’s identity. In my case, after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, it’s no longer self-evident that my body carries out certain actions – however simple these actions might seem. These experiences can lead to alienation, fear and an instrumental vision towards the body. Without the certainty that a functioning body offers, identity is also compromised. Who I am, and how the disease influences my identity, is explored within this project.
Using traditional and sustainable photographic printing techniques, Aindreas Scholz highlights issues of the climate crisis, focusing particularly on the effects of human activity. In The Vanishing Point, for instance, Scholz addresses plants that risk vanishing from extinction by experimenting with unfixed lumen prints. His practice is informed by historical and legendary texts and tales, and by referring to these narratives, he weaves engaging storytelling into visually enticing pieces.
Recent graduate Emilia Rigaud presents her ongoing work Fluid. Her at times ghostly and otherworldly creations serve as a sensitive visual account of her investigation into ‘hydrofeminism’ and our connection to water. Alluding to environmental concerns, Rigaud underlines that caring for water is caring for us. Her visual style presents work that occupies a dimension between the seemingly mythical, editorial, and at times documentary traditions too.
Making work inspired by highly personal circumstances, Phelim Hoey and Ryan Allen both address experiences relating to multiple sclerosis (MS), albeit adopting different approaches. Phelim Hoey – whom PhotoIreland has followed excitedly since his nomination to its triennial talent programme in 2019 – investigates the condition from direct experience, utilising multidisciplinary methods to expose the precariousness and unpredictability of his own body, reclaiming control and confidence over himself in the process.
Ryan Allen, meanwhile, is a new graduate, selected for PhotoIreland’s 2022 RADAR Graduate Residency. There is a lot of potential and determination in Allen’s work, and we feel he represents a movement towards the personal with a compassionate and empathetic tone. In his selected project, FathoM, Allen provides a visual response to his fears over the body’s transience, having witnessed the process of MS in his mother.
Also on the path of care, Niamh Barry is a photographer engaging with queer communities in Ireland through her personal projects in a warm and tender manner. We were first introduced to Barry’s work through No Queer Apologies – a project tinged with gentleness while also calling for solidarity and action – and it immediately captivated our attention. Her latest project, brought to FUTURES, Now and Forever, Interpersonally Queer, presents tender images which highlight the chosen families that are so important within the queer community.