DABF23: Mandy O’Neill, 'I Dream of a White Gorilla'

07 — 17 December 2023

I Dream of a White Gorilla is an artwork by artist Mandy O’Neill commissioned by Dublin Art Book Fair in response to this year's theme: Polyphonic

I Dream of a White Gorilla is a newly commissioned work by artist Mandy O’Neill which invited people to answer a series of questions about a significant 'place' in their lives. The work is part of an ongoing project by the artist and will be on view in the gallery for the duration of DABF.

Echoing Guest Curator Wendy Erskine's theme for this year's DABF, Polyphonic, Mandy O'Neill created a collaborative artwork that brings together multiple voices, thoughts and experiences. The ‘voices’ are sourced from Dublin-based schools and community groups familiar to the artist, and her personal network.

Using the guiding principles of intuition and connection, and the language of colour, the work is activated through the process of reading, with the aim to open an imaginative space for the audience. This forms part of a series of unfolding, ongoing conversations within the artist’s work, which feed into her wider practice

Mandy O’Neill is an Irish artist based in Dublin. Her practice, encompasses photography, print, installation, and public dialogue. Thematically her work is concerned with the everyday outcomes of political and ideological decision making, and the possible alternatives. Recent work employs expanded photography practice and the visual language of architecture to question the nature of building and development in the inner suburbs of Dublin, and in the city itself.

This event takes place as part of Dublin Art Book Fair 2023: Polyphonic, sponsored by Henry J Lyons and supported by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature.

Image description: An image of four coloured panels in yellow, blue green and pink. Each panel contains lines of text in clear black font.