Sculpture and Expanded Practice Department
Phone: 01 6364329
Email: handb@staff.ncad.ie
Brian Hand
ANCAD, BA, HDFA, PG Cert, PG Dip, MA
Lecturer and Head of Sculpture and Expanded Practice Department
Brian Hand’s art practice is broadly concerned with creatively exploring and researching events in the past. Brian makes temporary public work and time-based installations often in site-specific locations. Brian has a deep interest in post-colonial historiography and the limits of historical representation. In the past, he believes, we can find alternative images that disrupt the naturalness of the present. He has made work addressing art and politics through researching secret societies, prisons, suffragettes, the archive, the great famine and the invention of the Irish Wolfhound.
Brian Hand studied Sculpture at NCAD and Media at the Slade School of Art, London. He also has an MA in Third Level Learning and Teaching from DIT. Events of note in his career include artist-in residence at Kilmainham Gaol Museum (1990), museum concept and design for the Famine Museum in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, (1990-94) the PS1 International Studio Award in 1995, and the critical writing bursary from the Arts Council in 1999. In 2003, Hand was selected as curator of the Arts Council’s Critical Voices programme. Before coming to NCAD Hand lectured in art at IT Carlow Wexford Campus School of Art and Design and before that at DIT. Hand was a founding member of collaborative art groups: Blue Funk, The Fire Dept.,147, Entre Chien et Loup and most recently Stormy Petrel/ Guairdeall.
Solo Exhibitions:
2011 Anachrony The Dock, Carrick-on Shannon, Co Leitrim.
2008 Little War The Butler Gallery and Kilkenny Arts Festival, Kilkenny.
2007 A Decision to Love Stephen Lawrence Gallery Greenwich University,
London.
2001 The Car Called The Manager, site specific temporary public art
commission in Carlow, curated by Valerie Connor and Fiach
MacConghail
1997 ‘Threefold Prediction’, Project Arts Centre, Dublin.
1990 'Kilmainham Gaol; A Secret Society Derailed by Stages', Kilmainham
Gaol Artist in Residence Exhibition, Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin.
Group Exhibitions:
2017 The Wolf O’Brien with Orla Ryan, temporary public art commission for
Carlow Arts Festival, Carlow.
2017 Stormy Petrel/ Guairdeall with Orla Ryan and Alanna O Kelly, as part of
Crinniú na Cásca, Rua Red, Tallaght, Dublin.
2016-17 Stormy Petrel/ Guairdeall with Orla Ryan and Alanna O Kelly, Visual,
Carlow.
2016 Stormy Petrel/ Guairdeall with Orla Ryan and Alanna O Kelly,
Vietnamese Women's Museum, Hanoi.
2016 Stormy Petrel/ Guairdeall with Orla Ryan and Alanna O Kelly GPO An
Post public art commission, GPO Dublin. Curated by Valerie Connor
and Ruairí Ó Cuiv.
2015 Horse, Void Art Gallery, Curated by Mark Wallanger and Maolíosa
Boyle.
2013-2015 Imaginary Archive, Group Show curated by Gregory Sholette tours to
Graz, Austria and Kiev, Ukraine and ICA Philadelphia USA.
2012 Invited guest artist by Nine Stones Artists Group at Eigse Carlow.
2011 Imaginary Archive at Tulca curated by Gregory Sholette at Gallery 126,
Galway.
2006 I Confess I was There An Interface project at the Switch Room, Belfast.
2003 Dearcadh: Visionaries of 1798, Kilmainham Gaol Museum, Dublin.
2002 The Persistence of Gothic, group exhibition curated by Mairead
McClean Greenwich University, London.
The Captain's Road, group exhibition curated by TV Project, Dublin.
2001 Visual Art is Disposable, ( a 147 project) Liberty Hall, Dublin.
2000 If I Ruled the World, (with Orla Ryan and Rose Thomas) CCA Glasgow,
curated by Ross Sinclair and Bryndís Snæbjörnsdóttir.
Circulation, A RepoHistory project, my work existed as part of the
web site (http://www.repohistory.org) and postcard at various sites in
New York including Exit Art: The First World,
and Printed Matter Bookstore.
1999 Five29Ninety9, St Ann’s Church Brooklyn, New York.
Screening of C oblique O at the Irish Film Centre, Dublin.
1998 EV+A City Gallery, Limerick curated by Paul O'Reilly.
1996 ‘In The Ruins of The Twentieth Century’, PS1 Group Show curated by
Jean-Michel Ribettes , Disused Commercial Space, Manhattan, New
York.
1994 EV+A City Gallery, Limerick curated by Jan Hoet.
1993 Sonsbeek’93, Arnhem, The Netherlands (With Blue Funk), curated by
Valerie Smith.
Other Borders, The Grey Art Gallery, New York (With
Blue Funk) curated by Tom Weir.
EV+A City Gallery, Limerick, curated by Gloria Moure.
1992 PostGraduate Show, The Slade School of Art, London.
Space Plenitude, Brisbane, (With Blue Funk).
‘A State of Great Terror’, The Douglas Hyde Gallery,
Dublin (With BlueFunk).
1991 Ekker, The City Arts Centre, Dublin and PICA, Perth, Australia.
1990 Video ’90, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork.
1989 The Limerick Soviet Commemorative Exhibition, City Gallery, Limerick.
The National Review of Live Art, The Third Eye Centre, Glasgow,
invited platform artist.
NCAD Degree Show NCAD, Dublin
1988 A Subversive Sketch, Trinity College, Dublin.
NCAD Diploma Show NCAD, Dublin
1987 Irish Exhibition of Living Art, Guinness Hops Store, Dublin.
1986 Group show with Rachel Joynt and Olwen Weakes.
The Onion Field Resturant, Ranelagh, Dublin.
Catalogue publications:
2016 Thug siad oiche ar guairdeall dom, They left me wandering all night,
Stormy Petrel/Guairdeall published by Folded Leaf.
Stormy Petrel/ Guairdeall /Bai Ca Chim Bao Bao Catalogue in Irish and
Vietnamese for exhibition at the Women’s Museum in Hanoi,
Supported by IT Carlow, Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland,
Vietnam.
2002 Visualise, Documentation of temporary public art projects edition 1,
Carlow County Council.
2000 If I Ruled the World CCA Glasgow.
1998 EV+A `98, Catalogue, City Gallery Limerick.
1996 In the Ruins of the Twentieth Century, Catalogue, PS1 Museum, New
York.
1993 Sonsbeek’93, Catalogue, Arnhem, The Netherlands.
1991 Ekker, Catalogue, The City Arts Centre, Dublin and Perth Institute of
Contemporary Art, Australia.
Essays or Lectures Related to Exhibitions/ Projects:
2012 Luke Gibbons lecture, Anachrony and the Celtic Tiger as part of the
exhibition Anachrony at the Dock, Carrick On Shannon, Co-Leitrim.
Reviews of exhibitions and projects:
2016 Visual Artists Ireland News Sheet article on Stormy Petrel Project
edited by Joanne Laws.
The Examiner Richard Collins review of GPO project and publication.
2013 The Irish Times 20/4/2013Feature Article by Manchan Magan on my
research into the Irish Tricolour.
2011 The Irish Times 18/4/2011 Review of Anachrony by Aidan Dunne.
Billion Art Journal July 2011 (online pdf) Sean Lynch and Brian Hand
review of show in the Dock by Joanne Laws.
2007 CIRCA 119 Review of A Decision to Love by Isobel Harbison.
2003 CIRCA 106 review of Dearcadh by Luke Clancy.
Nationwide, RTE Television, interviewed about Dearcadh show.
2002 Art Monthly March 'High and Dry' report article on The Car Called The
Manager by Ian Hunt, pp. 33-35.
2001 Art Bulletin August , Artist -led Initiative, review of 147s Visual Art is
Disposable.
CIRCA 98, review of 147s Until That Time.
CIRCA 98, review of The Car Called The Manager by Stephanie
McBride.
CIRCA 98, Feature article on Repohistory by Michael Wilson.
Irish Examiner 03/10/01 review of The Car Called The Manager by
Patrick Brennan.
The Nationalist and Leinster Times 28/10/01 review of The Car Called
The Manager by Michael Godfrey.
2000 Art Journal Vol.59, No. 4, Winter 2000, feature article on
REPOhistory's Circulation by Jim Costanzo and Gregory Sholette
pp.32-54.
Afterimage, Vol. 28, No. 3, review of REPOhistory's, Circulation and
public art by Philip Glahn.
Frieze, Issue 54, review of If I Ruled the World, by Neil Mulholland.
CIRCA 93, review of If I Ruled the World, by Leigh French.
1999 New Art Examiner, November, extended article on Repohistory and
Circulation exhibition by Gregory Sholette.
Afterimage Vol 27 article on collaborative practice by Greg Sholette.
CIRCA 89, ‘A constructive lack of agenda’, review article of
Five29Ninety9 by Maeve Connolly.
1998 CIRCA 86, review of EV+A 1998 by Annie Fletcher.
Variant Vol. 2, No.7, review article of EV+A 1998 by Orla Ryan.
1997 The Sunday Tribune, 16/11/1997, review of Threefold Prediction by
Aidan Dunne.
The Irish Times, 31/10/1997, review of Threefold Prediction by
Luke Clancy.
1996 Art in America, April, ‘Art from the Edge’, by Judith Higgins.
1994 CIRCA 68, ‘Hungry Grass’, by Niall Ó Ciosáin.
The Sunday Times, 20/3/1994 'EV+A 1994’, by Medb Ruane.
1993 Art Forum, November, ‘Sculpting the Town... Sonsbeek`93 ’, by
Dan Cameron.
The Irish Times, 5/6/1993 ‘Sonsbeek`93 ’ by Jobst Graeve.
Frieze, issue 12 Sept/Oct ‘Into the Trees’, by Stuart Morgan.
CIRCA 64, ‘Irish Art in New York’, by Anna O’Sullivan.
CIRCA 63, review of A State of Great Terror, by Michael Wilson.
1991 The Sunday Tribune 23/6/91, ‘A shared belief that things are not as
they seem’ review of Ekker, by Aidan Dunne.
1990 Portfolio, Vol. 1, article on Blue Funk by Elizabeth Hartigan pp. 108-109.
Radio interview, The Rodney Rice Show, RTE 1, 29/8/90.
As a writer Hand has published essays for artists such as Anne Tallentire, Noel Sheridan, Daphne Wright, Dennis McNulty, Colin Darke, and Dorothy Cross. Hand's most recent writing has appeared in essays commissioned for Making 1916: Material and Visual Culture of the Easter Rising edited by Lisa Godson and Joanna Bruck see http://liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/products/60501 as well as Creative Ireland, The Abbey Theatre and IMMA's What is... series. With Orla Ryan he has contributed to Between a Dog and a Wolf an Animal Empathy Workbook Edited by Sarah Browne, Published by CCA Derry-Londonderry. ISBN: 978-0-9541549-6-7. Also Thug siad oíche ar guairdeall dom / They left me wandering all night. Limited edition book of 500 signed copies. By Stormy Petrel /Guairdeall (Alanna O'Kelly, Brian Hand, Orla Ryan) Published by Folded Leaf. ISBN: 978-0-9935770-0-0.
Publications:
1. Contributions to Books/Pamphlets
2016 Thug siad oiche ar guairdeall dom, They left me wandering all night,
Stormy Petrel/Guairdeall published by Folded Leaf.
2015 Between a Dog and a Wolf An Animal Empathy Workbook edited by
Sara Greavu and Sarah Browne. Excerpt text from performance lecture
with Orla Ryan at CCA Derry
2014 Making 1916 Material and Visual Culture of the 1916 Rising, edited by
Lisa Godson and Joanna Bruck, Liverpool University Press, Chapter 1
The fabric of a deathless dream:A short introduction to the origins
and meanings of the 1916 tricolour flag.
2011 Creative Ireland The Visual Arts Published by Visual Artists Ireland,
essay titled Playing smart and not being clever.
2010 What is Participatory and Relational Art IMMA pamphlet essay titled
A struggle at the roots of the mind: service and solidarity in dialogical,
relational and collaborative perspectives within contemporary art.
2006 Croon:A Cross Disciplinary Project by Daphne Wright and Johnnny
Hanrahan,(Cork: Gandon Press) essay titled
Dream Filled Determination.
2001 ' This is not art, this is a dog barking' essay for Noel Sheridan On
Reflection (Dublin: Four Courts Press).
2000 Pipelines, Anne Bevan and Janice Galloway, essay titled
'Interpretation and Disinternment', (Edinburgh: Friuitmarket Gallery).
2. Essays in periodicals
2016 Mosquito Press a poster newspaper by Stormy Petrel/ Guairdeall.
2010 Studentszine online publication issue 1 re publishing
of IMMA Pamphlet on What is Participatory Art?
2006 Remembering Noel Sheridan VAN September.
2005 ‘Mining a Quarry; Stabat Mater by Dorothy Cross’ Circa 112, Dublin.
2003 'Flatley on our Backs' CIRCA 104, Dublin.
'What's left of Process?', SSI Newsletter April /May , Dublin.
2001 ‘Uncertainty Principles: Roundtable on Art and Science’
(with Michael Cronin, Mick Wilson and Catherine Fitzgerald)
CIRCA 96, Dublin.
2000 'The Audience as Producers', CIRCA 94, Dublin.
'Looking for Attention', CIRCA 93, Dublin.
'Audience to Ourselves', CIRCA 92, Dublin.
'Public Misrecognition', CIRCA 91, Dublin.
1999 'Public Art Indoors', CIRCA 88, Dublin.
1998 'Twin Citizens', Super Umbau, Spring Edition, Hamburg.
1997 'Mangan’s Cain: Notes on Criminal Urbanity', Spring Edition, New York.
1996 . 'Swerved in Naught' CIRCA 76, Dublin.
3. Catalogue essays
2011 ‘Sixty Four Arrah-na Pogue’Programme Note Abbey Theatre for
Arrah-na Pogue 15 December 2010 –5 February 2011.
2007 ‘Bloody negotiations with the world’ Catalogue essay for
Seán Ó Flaithearta.
2001 'From hand to mind' Catalogue essay for Colin Darke's exhibition
Elementary Forms at The Orchard Gallery, Derry .
2000 'Thomas Hirschorn: On the Altar of Art' Catalogue essay for
VIVRE SA VIE Glasgow.
1999 'At the museum all that is seen is not heard' Catalogue essay for
Shirley MacWilliam's installation Ear piece at
The Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston, Lancashire.
Instances Anne Tallentire, (La Biennale di Venezia, 1999).
catalogue essay 'Unseen Unsaid", (Dublin: CRC).
4. Research texts
2000 The Spark of Contingency research essay on the relationship
between art and science for An Chomhairle Ealaíon
and The Irish Science Council.
1999 The Audience research report for The Centre for
Creative Performance/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
5. Reviews
2010 Review of Linda Benglis at IMMA commissioned by CIRCA
but unpublished.
2007 Review of Tactically Yours by Hegarty and Stone at
The Butler Gallery Kilkenny for CIRCA 120.
2005 Reviewer for Cork Caucus project Exit Cork curated by
Static published in Cork Evening Echo during Cork Caucus.
2004 Regional update on art in Co Carlow Visual Artists News Sheet.
1990 Elizabeth Magill, CIRCA 53, Dublin.
