The first true masterpiece of 2019: Elaine Hoey's Animated Positions, which was included in her solo show Surface Tension at the Centre Culturel Irlandais, in Paris, between January 19 - February 19. The exhibition was curated by Nora Hickey:
This work draws reference from 19th century European nationalist paintings and explores the role of art in the portrayal of jingoistic patriotic ideals that have become culturally symbolic in the formation of the nation state. This piece re-animates the war like stances and positions of bodies found within these paintings, using character animation taken from the video game Call of Duty. The work challenges notions of nostalgia for the nation state, creating a contemporary critique of the underlying violence that underpins much of today's nationalistic ideologies.
Elaine Hoey is an Irish New Media Artist working primarily with virtual reality and interactive art. Among her artworks is The Weight of Water (2016) which uses virtual reality technology to project the viewer in the position of a refugee in a boat, suffering through the infamously hazardous journey to Europe.
LINK: Elaine Hoey
