422 artworks by 70 artists will be added to the National Collection thanks to the €1m fund provided to the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) and the Crawford Art Gallery in October 2020.
In October 2020, Minister Martin committed €1m from her department to IMMA and the Crawford Art Gallery to fund the purchase of artworks by artists living and/or working in Ireland. The investment enabled the two institutions charged with collecting contemporary art to work collaboratively to support artists by buying existing artworks, bringing much-needed financial resources to the sector.
The body of 422 artworks by 70 artists from across the country has been selected through a rigorous process by both institutions to ensure strategic and thoughtful acquisitions for the nation.
Spanning from 1972 to 2021, the works consist of paintings, photographic work, drawings, sculpture, installations, moving images, sound work, film, digital work, embroidery, and performance.
This is a significant boost to both collections, strengthening and enhancing the breadth of style of work, making them truly representative of contemporary Irish practice and available for the public to enjoy for generations to come.
As the cultural repositories for the country, the role of the National Cultural Institutions is to reflect Ireland and her people and tell the story of our country. This is the first time in over a decade that substantial funding has been specifically allocated towards building the National Collection to reflect contemporary culture.
“It is a real honour for me to have artworks included in the IMMA collection, especially because of the ephemeral, fleeting nature of public performance actions. So, I am gratified by the curiosity the curators have shown in exploring with me the total picture of how such an artwork is conceived, executed and disseminated beyond the live moment, which is a crucial framework for understanding the surviving artefacts” Artist, Sandra Johnston, whose work has been acquired by IMMA, said.
“The acquisition of my work by the Crawford Art Gallery for the National Collection has been a great boost for me,” Artist, Tom Climent, whose work has been purchased by the Crawford Art Gallery, added.
“Even more so now with galleries closed and opportunities to exhibit reduced. It is not just the monetary income but the recognition and affirmation in my work that is hugely encouraging. Having a painting on public display means it lives on and hopefully reaches so many more people. Thanks to all the team in the Crawford Gallery and the help of The Sternview Gallery for making this happen.”