Remarks at the 30th Anniversary of Temple Bar Gallery and Studios
25th September 2013
Thank you for that kind welcome. I am delighted to be here today to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Temple Bar Gallery and Studios and I thank Joe Hanly for inviting me to join you all.
Léiríonn bunú Dhánlann agus Stiúideonna Bharra an Teampaill an rud sin is dual do gach ealaíontóir, is é sin an aisling a bhaineann le teacht ar spás cruthaitheach – tearmann suaimhneach inar féidir tuairimí a spreagadh, a chothú agus a chur i gcrích. As an aisling chruthaitheach sin a rinneadh foirgneamh speisialta de mhonarcha seo a bhí tréigthe tráth, áit ar féidir le healaíontóirí agus daoine a chuireann spéis i mbuanna agus i saothar na n-ealaíontóirí teacht le chéile. Is léiriú é ar an spiorad agus ar an bhfís is bunús le Barra an Teampaill.
[Realising the foundation of Temple Bar Gallery and Studios suggests an innate instinct, which all artists will recognise the dream and the search to find a creative space, a place of refuge and relief where ideas can take hold, incubate and be brought to fruition. From that deep rooted creative ambition this once semi derelict factory building has grown into a purpose built complex to be used by both artists and those who wish to engage with and experience their talent and work. It symbolises and exemplifies so much of the spirit of Temple Bar and the vision at the heart of its conception.]
The creation of cultural spaces, places that allow for experimentation and diversity and which provide a breathing space for artists, giving them time to think, and act, is an essential precondition and early need for the creation of all art. While many great artistic works – be they visual or written – reflect the natural flux of the everyday and the confused complexity of the human psyche, through which it is mediated, their conception, design and formation requires a vital space to contemplate, to meditate and to escape from the distraction of the very norm which the artist aims to recreate.
There is currently a continuing debate as to the relationship between creativity, culture and the economy – a debate which reflects the recession which has affected many economies in recent years. As Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht I stressed the importance of the creative space and the immediately discernible contribution of the creative industries to economic growth and employment. It is, indeed, important that we invest in creative and cultural industries and recognize that such investment produces a multiplier effect far greater than the investment itself.
The creative industries are among the most dynamic sectors in world trade. Between 2000 and 2005 international trade in creative goods and services grew at a rate of 8.7%. The value of world exports in creative goods and services reached 424.4 billion, 3.4% of total world trade.
The turnover of the European creative industries was 654 billion in 2003, employing 5.6 million people. In comparison to other industry sectors, the creative industries is one of the most important in Europe: there are few other sectors which contribute more than 3% to the national GDP, which is the case in France, the UK, Norway, Finland and Denmark.
However, while debate about the relationship between creativity, culture and the economy is of fundamental importance it should not, of course, focus solely on the economic value of creative endeavour. It is important that the cultural space is understood to be wider than the economic space – that culture is a right, a component of citizenship and that the arts are a vehicle for citizen participation.
We must emphasise in our thinking that a cultural space should never be a residual of the marketplace but must remain primarily an extensive space in the national psyche, one that will allow us to better understand ourselves through our cultural past and to build a better future through the cultural present. If a cultural space is to be a truly enduring one, it must be a space within which various forms of creative activity are made possible. It should be properly respected as not only a location for the arts but as a source of vision – offering innovation in capacity for living, and recognizing the vital role that arts and culture play in creating dynamic, creative and reflective societies.
That is why communities need libraries and performing venues and creative spaces and why spaces like the Temple Bar Gallery and studios become even more important in times of recession.
Temple Bar was conceived through a determination to incorporate that which was best about our past into our ever evolving and changing societal needs. The establishment of the Temple Bar Gallery and Studios reflected an equal determination to reject any notion that at a time of economic difficulty we should neglect the arts.
Thirty years later, as we once again live through challenging economic times, the role of the Gallery and Studios remains a significant one; providing a location for culture that is firmly grounded in the Temple Bar community; a place that reminds us of the importance of the cultural space not becoming marginal, tangential or even abandoned. It is important that we continue to harness all that was best about our past to the nation’s future by sustaining our cultural richness in its identities and diversities.
This morning, we celebrate what director Claire Power has called “the story of a creative place, unfolding over time, …..thirty years of dreaming, making and doing”. As part of this celebration four artists were invited to imagine alternative histories for Temple Bar using stories, material and imagery that have been gathered together as part of a publication also being produced to mark this significant anniversary. ‘False Memory Syndrome’ is an inspiring exhibition where past and present merge into a single paused moment that reminds us of the cultural legacy that connects us as a people. It is also a fascinating one in which we can see, displayed in front of us, the manner in which a similar experience can suggest a very different journey for each of the individuals who undertake it. It asks us to bear in mind that no one individual voice can recount the definitive story of our past; and that a study of history must, by its very nature, become an exploration of the many interconnected but differing experiences of all of those involved in an event and in a period in time. There is no single truth and we make our own choice somewhere between all of those distinct, honest, but differing voices.
Ar an gcaoi chéanna leis an meas agus an tuiscint atá againn ar an ealaín, ní mór dúinn, sa tsochaí i gcoitinne, meas a léiriú ar an gceart atá ag meon an duine féachaint ar an saol ar a bhealach uathúil féin. Ní mór dúinn a thuiscint, má táimid chun todhchaí chomhroinnte le mianta agus cuspóir i gcoiteann againn, go gcaithfimid éisteacht leis na guthanna aonair atá le cloisteáil sa tsochaí seo. Ní mór dúinn meas a léirú ar eispéiris dhifriúla, ar dhearcaí difriúla agus ar dhán difriúil ár gcomhshaoránach agus muid ag iarraidh saoránacht uileghabhálach a chruthú.
[In a similar manner to that in which we experience and appreciate artistic endeavor we must, within our broader society, believe in the right of the individual mind to see the world in its own way. We must recognise that, if we are to craft a shared future with shared hopes and a common purpose, we must listen to the individual voices that make up our society. We must gain an understanding of, and allow for, the differing experiences, viewpoints, and narratives of our fellow citizens as we seek to create an inclusive citizenship.]
In conclusion, I would like to thank you all once again for welcoming me here today to mark and celebrate thirty years of the formation of a strong cultural space that has allowed creativity to emerge and be shared with all citizens. The Temple Bar Gallery and Studios has provided a dynamic community where a generation of artists have found their creative pathways, supported each other’s gift and talent, and produced distinctive works that connect our cultural past with the rich diversity of our nation’s changing demographics . I would like to thank all those who have been involved with the Gallery and Studios since its foundation in 1983 and wish you all every success in the future.
Go raibh mile maith agaibh go leir.