As part of the Arts Council’s Critical Voices 3 programme, radical Mexican-American artist Guillermo Gómez-Peña will make two appearances in Dublin, on Friday 26 and Tuesday 30 May.

One of the most important and provocative performing artist/activists working today, Gómez-Peña was the first Latino to win the MacArthur 'genius' grant. He has won the US National Book Award and performs and exhibits regularly at Tate Modern, the Whitney, and major US academic institutions including Dartmouth and UCLA. This is his first visit to Ireland.

His artistic project is to interrogate the idea of the ‘marginal' and 'exotic' by undermining audience expectations as to what is mainstream and what is alternative. His work is intercultural, in that he incorporates Latin-American and Native American perspectives, references and styles. In both his person (he is a Mexican immigrant to the US) and his art he directly challenges narrow definitions of national identity, an area that is hugely topical both in the US and Ireland today. His work addresses the social and cultural effects of globalisation, and explores patterns of ethnic and community affiliation that extend beyond the national.

In Dublin, Gómez-Peña will present two performances:

Friday 26 May: Mapa-Corpo: Interactive Rituals for the New Millennium
Gómez-Peña, with another performance artist and a local acupuncturist, will create a ‘poetic interactive ritual’ that explores neo-colonisation/de-colonisation using acupuncture and the re-enactment of ‘the post-9/11 body politic’.

Tuesday 30 May: Ethno-Techno: In Search of a New Aesthetic
Gómez-Peña will present this performance-based lecture in a special event for Critical Voices 3, in association with the International Institute for Integration Studies, Trinity College Dublin, and the Clinton Institute for American Studies, University College Dublin.

Critical Voices 3
Critical Voices is the Arts Council’s biennial programme of public debate about art, culture and ideas. This year’s programme turns the spotlight onto the artist and society, and reflects current international intellectual debate. In total Critical Voices 3 will consist of over 30 visits to Ireland by international artists, writers, thinkers and commentators on culture, taking place between now and December. Speakers will include figures whose work and interests cross cultural, national and linguistic boundaries and who explore a variety of genres. The programme is curated by journalist and critic Helen Meany in collaboration with a wide range of Irish arts organisations.
The programme’s media sponsor is The Irish Times.

Event Details
Date and Time: 1pm Friday 26 May
Multi-media Performance: Mapa-Corpo
Venue: Project Arts Centre, Dublin
This performance lasts just over an hour.
Ticket information: Admission is free but spaces are limited. Tickets will be allocated on a first come first served basis, so early booking is advised. For bookings and further information contact: tel: 01 881 9613/4 e-mail: info@project.ie

Date and Time: 1 pm Tuesday 30 May
Lecture/Performance: Ethno-Techno Art: In Search of a New Aesthetic
Venue: The Ernest Walton Theatre, Arts Block, Trinity College, Dublin
Admission is free. No booking required; for more information please contact frickerk@tcd.ie

Further Information on Critical Voices 3
For full biographical notes on participating speakers, further information on all events and updates on future events, see the website www.criticalvoices.ie. Please note that all programme details may be subject to alteration.

For Media Information on Critical Voices 3 For all Critical Voices 3 press related queries, please contact: Stephanie Dickenson at Kate Bowe PR. Tel: 01 671 3672 E-mail: steph@katebowepr.ie