a rooskie in dublin

DUBLIN VS MILAN ART SHOW!
By Irina Kuksova

RDS (Royal Dublin Society) is a place in Dublin where magic - such as major shows and exhibitions – happens. This year I had the privilege to attend it for the first time.

The difference between a Dublin art show and, say, an art show in Milan is the same as between the two cities themselves. The latter is roughly five times bigger in size and more costly in price – a toll for the sine qua non "coolness".

Milan Show has pieces like Fontana's "cuts" ("Tagli" – just a canvas with a cut in it), which require a six-figure sum to acquire it. An Irish friend of mine still tells it as a joke of sorts. To him, indifferent to the Italian cult of "coolness", the price is ridiculously high. Especially if you covert it into kegs of Guinness.

If Milan Show is akin to "golden youth", Dublin Show is more like a grandpa with his collection of more down-to-earth stuff and an occasional "deadly" item submitted by his oh-so-contemporary grandchild.

We could have a good (and never-ending) debate on which show is "better" and why. Today, I propose to judge by the amount of care put into artwork. Perhaps Fontana put care into his "cuts", but can one even start comparing it with the amount of care put in every brushstroke by Eileen Meagher?