Join us for a behind the scenes studio visit at Spike Island. This is a chance to explore artists’ and makers’ studios, to see their working environments, their processes and works-in-progress in an informal and friendly setting.

On this visit, we meet visual artist Garry Loughlin in his studio at Spike Island. Loughlin’s work is research-based and incorporates photography, writing and archival material. His interests lie in the use of power, and the control of narratives and territories by those with power.

Accompanied by Spike Island Assistant Curator Nella Aarne, Loughlin will talk about his current research into control and territory with a focus on the Islet of Rockall. The ownership of Rockall has been in dispute since 1955 when it was claimed by the British, who feared it would be used by Soviet agents to spy on missile testing. Using Rockall as a starting point, Loughlin examines the economic and political forces that drive such fights for ownership.

GARRY LOUGHLIN

Garry Loughlin is a lens-based artist whose work is driven by un-earthing micro-histories and the discovery of elements that can link a series of events that might initially seem isolated. Working with photography allows him to employ the language of documentary to challenge the perceived authority of the indexical image and its role in the distribution of history. Using original photographs alongside archival elements engenders a visually fragmentary approach re-flecting the complex and often emotionally complicated narratives he wishes to convey.

Loughlin has exhibited his work widely and some recent exhibitions include A Failed Attempt to Assemble a Mountain, a collaborative installation work with Alejandro Acin as part of The Centre of Gravity at Soap Works (UK), and The Clearing House in Test Space at Spike Island (UK). He has also delivered a performative lecture on The Clearing House as part of Bus Project’s (AUS) online pro-gramme, Bus TV.