1st October 2015
Exhibition of Irish architecture launched at inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial
Minister for Business and Employment, Ged Nash TD today (Thursday) commenced a 3 day visit to Chicago to lead a design feasibility study and launch an exhibition of Irish architecture.
The visit has been organised as part of Irish Design 2015 (ID2015), the year-long initiative backed by the Irish government exploring, promoting and celebrating Irish design throughout Ireland and internationally.
The purpose of the visit to Chicago is to explore opportunities and challenges that exist in the Mid West and to promote Ireland as a source of innovative design products and services, and in doing so, increase the level of business exchange between Ireland and Chicago. The Minister’s programme includes a number of meetings to showcase the capability and calibre of Enterprise Ireland client companies doing business in the Mid West.
Speaking about the study, Minister Nash said: “The Mid West is a vibrant region, which has a strong heritage of Irish influence and is a target area for the future growth of Irish companies. The primary purpose of the study is to explore further opportunities for Irish companies to do business in the Mid West region in order to increase exports to the US. We also want to encourage deeper trade partnerships by promoting Ireland as a great country to do business.”
Minister Nash will also formally launch New Horizon_architecture from Ireland at the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial, North America’s largest international survey of contemporary architecture, which runs until January 3rd, 2016. Presented by ID2015 in partnership with Chicago Design Museum, this flagship exhibition of Irish architecture and the built environment is a key element of the year long ID2015 programme. It takes the form of a series of presentations of the work of emerging Irish practices in high-profile venues around the world.
Commenting on New Horizon_architecture from Ireland, Minister Nash said: "The aim of ID2015 is to bring visibility to Ireland’s dynamic design businesses, supporting them in trading in competitive foreign markets and ultimately creating jobs at home. New Horizon_architecture from Ireland offers a unique opportunity to promote emerging Irish practices working in the architecture and built environment space to discerning audiences around the world. Following New Horizon’s presence at the London Festival of Architecture in June, this installment at Chicago Architecture Biennial and a further presence at the Hong Kong/Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture later this year will be instrumental in positioning design at the heart of our creative economy and in growing Ireland’s reputation abroad for world class design and innovation.”
New Horizon_architecture from Ireland has been curated by Raymund Ryan, Curator, Heinz Architectural Center, Pittsburgh and Nathalie Weadick, Director, Irish Architecture Foundation and Built Environment Advisor to ID2015. The Chicago presentation will be on show at the Chicago Design Museum until January 3rd 2016 and showcases the work of three practices - A2 Architects (Peter Carroll and Caomhán Murphy), GKMP Architects (Grace Keeley and Michael Pike), and Ryan W. Kennihan Architects - for the first time in Chicago.
Karen Hennessy, Chief Executive of Irish Design 2015 said: "We are delighted to be conducting this strategically important design feasibility study during such a pivotal year for the Irish design. Through the ID2015 initiative, we are showcasing the work of Irish designers around the world, developing commercial opportunities and establishing strategic partnerships for the ongoing development of this vibrant sector. We are particularly honoured to be part of the very first Chicago Architecture Biennial, partnering with the Chicago Design Museum in promoting Irish businesses working in the architecture and built environment space as one of the highlights of the ID2015 programme and look forward to seeing opportunities unfold from our participation in such a high profile event.”
The design feasibility study is a collaboration between ID2015, Enterprise Ireland, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Consulate General of Ireland in Chicago.
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For further information, please contact:
Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation Press Office - 01 631 2200 or press.office@djei.ie
About Irish Design 2015:
Irish Design 2015 (ID2015) is a year-long initiative backed by the Irish government exploring, promoting and celebrating Irish design throughout Ireland and internationally in order to drive job creation, grow exports and increase competitiveness. The programme for the year includes presenting the work of Irish designers at high profile events in design capitals including London, Paris, Eindhoven, Milan, New York, Chicago and Hong Kong/Shenzhen. ID2015 is being convened by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI), in collaboration with partner organisations, on behalf of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Enterprise Ireland. ID2015 partners include Founding Partners – MCO Projects; Accommodation Partners – The Doyle Collection; Venue Partners – OPW; Exhibition Partners – DAA; Technology Partners – IBM; Transport Partners – Bus Éireann Expressway and Construction Partners – Sisk. www.irishdesign2015.ie
About New Horizon_architecture from Ireland:
New Horizon_architecture from Ireland is being presented at Chicago Architecture Biennial by Irish Design 2015 in partnership with Chicago Design Museum. Other partners include Alluvial, Brunner Consulting Engineers, Clune Construction Company, Consulate General of Ireland in Chicago, Culture Ireland, Dream Interiors, Formed Space LLC, Freeney’s Graphics, Glanbia PLC, Graham Foundation, Gurtz Electric Co., James McHugh Construction Co., Jameson Irish Whiskey, Kole Construction Company Inc., Latent Design, One Off Design, the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and Wink Lighting. www.newhorizon.irishdesign2015.ie
Chicago Architecture Biennial runs from 3rd October to 3rd January 2016. The practices being presented at Chicago Design Museum as part of the Biennial are A2 Architects - www.a2.ie, GKMP Architects - www.gkmp.ie and Ryan W. Kennihan Architects - www.rwka.com. A programme of events and talks has been developed to accompany the exhibition during the Chicago Architecture Biennial. These include a drop-in talk with the featured architects discussing the installation in the Chicago Design Museum and a talk by co-curator Raymund Ryan, discussing the international profile of Irish architecture and its relationship with Chicago from historic to contemporary times. For the latest information on the events programme, please visit www.newhorizon.irishdesign2015.ie
The first installment of New Horizon_architecture from Ireland was at London Festival of Architecture in June, where four Irish practices – TAKA, Clancy Moore, Hall McKnight and Steve Larkin – collaborated on two temporary pavilions in Lewis Cubitt Square, King’s Cross, while a fifth architect, Emmett Scanlon, curated a mini-exhibition, Nine Lives, for the Tank at London’s Design Museum. In December, two further practices – Urban Agency and AP+E - will participate at the Shenzhen/Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture, bringing the total number of practices presented through New Horizon_architecture from Ireland to ten.
Follow ID2015 on social media:
Instagram: @irishdesign2015
Twitter: @irishdesign2015
Facebook: Irish Design 2015 #ID2015NewHorizon #ID2015 #irishdesign2015
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