Among the dregs of daily toil
Alan Magee
February 06 - March 15 2020
The LAB Gallery is pleased to present Among the dregs of daily toil, an exhibition of new work by Alan Magee. Encompassing a diverse range of processes, from Virtual Reality, Robotics, Video and Ceramics, this exhibition explores ideas of technology, materiality and the agency of the labouring body.
Among the dregs of daily toil evolved from a broader exploration into the social and cultural role of technology and the value of labour. Noting, that as technological advancements in AI and Automation increasingly become the dominant mediators of human experiences and practices, we become less aware of the material nature of things. Our physical understanding of materiality decreases with our reliance on advances in automation. This exhibition and accompanying events programme seeks to explore the relationship between what is handmade and automated or the virtual and the material as we consider the future of our labour, skills and the value of human or automated time.
This body of work was developed during his residency at Fire Station Artists’ Studios, where Magee was one of the 2019 Sculpture Awardees.
Bio:
Alan Magee was born in Ireland and lives and works between Dublin & London. He holds an MA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design, London, and a BA from TU Dublin (DIT), Ireland. Awards include; Fire Station Artists’ Studios -Sculpture Bursary Award, Florence Trust Studio Residency; Arts Council Ireland Travel and Training Awards. He has notably exhibited at White Cube, London; Castor, London; Xi’an Academy, China and LCGA, Limerick. Magee is currently a lecturer at Wimbledon College of Art and Design, a PhD scholarship awardee at TU Dublin, and is represented by Castor (London).
Magee’s practice crosses many disciplines from sculpture, installation and drawing, to a variety of lens-based media. Often addressing issues that arise from the politics of power, labour and technology, Magee’s playful, often absurdist compositions juxtapose bodies and objects, high art, and everyday life.
Monday to Friday 10am-5pm
6th July - 17th July
The LAB Gallery welcomes back visitors from Monday the 6th to Friday the 17th of July, Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm. The LAB Gallery is committed to the safety of its staff and visitors. There can only be a maximum of two people in the gallery at any one time. The LAB asks visitors to kindly follow the Covid 19 guidelines we have put in place in the gallery for the benefit of both visitors and staff. Please do not visit the gallery if you have symptoms and we advise that you practice good hand hygiene and coughing etiquette whilst at the gallery.
The first floor gallery has limited access as there is only one person permitted in the lift at a time.
To visit the gallery you must book on Eventbrite here.