The Quadrangle
University of Galway, H91 FN8X
2-17 November 2024
Mon-Sun 12-6pm

Stephen Brandes

Stephen Brandes is well-known for an artistic language of spiraling and ever-absurd narratives. The Night Garden appears inside the courtyard of the University of Galway’s Quadrangle building in the form of a large freestanding billboard. While wandering around the campus earlier this year, the artist came across a large architectural sculpture, removed from its original location and placed innocuously, despite its scale, on the edge of a small access road. Representing the Royal Coat of Arms, a lion, unicorn and ornamental shield all feature. He further learnt that the piece was originally part of the facade of Galway City Courthouse, commissioned during British rule. During the War of Independence, it was removed to the University for ‘safekeeping’. In Brandes’ vision the carving takes a new centre stage, a relic of a bygone age moving nervously into the future, now joined by a group of taxidermy animals. It’s hard to know if these new characters are friends of the crown, or there to lampoon it.

Image: Stephen Brandes, The Night Garden, 2024

TULCA Festival of Visual Arts
The Salvage Agency
Curated by Michele Horrigan
1 - 17 November 2024
Galway, Ireland

Access
We aim to ensure that our venues are accessible to all individuals interested in attending. If you have access related questions, please contact info@tulca.ie

The Quadrangle
Wheelchair accessible
Accessible toilets (located in Quad)
Seating provided
Accessible parking (in front of the Quadrangle Building)