Stephen Brandes at Wexford County Council Headquarters

Stephen Brandes at Wexford County Council Headquarters, Carricklawn, Wexford

30th June - 20th September 2014

Opening Reception: Friday 11th July 2014, 7-9 pm

Location: Wexford County Council Headquarters, Carricklawn, Wexford


Wexford County Council is proud to present its first ever solo-exhibition of visual art in the new Wexford County Council Headquarters. We are delighted to announce that contemporary artist Stephen Brandes shall be the initiate. A total of six works on Vinyl have been chosen, one of which is a new piece, and a selection of small-scale works on paper provide a glimpse into the working processes of the artist.

Stephen Brandes’ practice explores the interplay of word and visual language as a vehicle for storytelling, with particular reference to travel fiction and European traditions of absurdism and satire. For several years he embarked on a series of very large, highly detailed drawings on floor vinyl, which charted a perpetually expanding fictional universe- the genesis of which was a journey through contemporary Eastern Europe, following a route his grandmother made in 1913, escaping pogroms in Romania.

This exhibition takes Brandes’ imagined landscapes as its point of departure to dwell upon the human desire for utopia. It is a celebration of the imagination and absurd meanderings of the artist that conjure up a dysfunctional yet comic utopian vision wherein Wexford County Hall itself could fit.

The main circulation area of the County Headquarters was designed to echo a streetscape and has become known as “The Street”. As its name suggests this space covers a vast area, both vertically and horizontally, providing the perfect opportunity to create a new and exciting cultural venue that co-exists alongside the daily functions of this building. During 2013 a hanging system was installed specifically for the display of large-scale two-dimensional artworks.

The Arts Department invites you to visit County Hall over the coming months to appreciate these magnificent works of art. The official opening with wine reception is on Friday the 11th July from 7-9 pm and Wexford County Council Chairman, Malcolm Byrne and artist Stephen Brandes will open the show.

Deirdre Southey, Curator