Since 2008, Cléa van der Grijn’s work and practice is about unravelling the complexities associated around the culture of death, reconstructed memory and time. Memories real or imagined. Dream.

JUMP is a newly commissioned body of work about understanding the rational, social and emotional circumstances constructed around time and memory. The exhibition consists of a series of new paintings by Cléa as well as an ambitious film work written and Directed by Cléa and created with collaborators; Joseph P. Hunt, Michael Cummins and Ciaran Carty.

A woman stands at the edge of a pier. She wilfully jumps. Slowly she falls through water where time catches her breath. What are the memories between the transitional period of jumping + hitting the water when life becomes momentarily suspended. Alive not dead. What memories would be placed to validate existence. Memories to record. Real or perceived? Fact or fiction?

Commissioned by Mermaid Arts Centre in partnership with five venues and funded through an Arts Council of Ireland Touring Award;

Mermaid Arts Centre (Wicklow) 1^st Oct to 3^rd Nov 2018

Linenhall Arts Centre (Mayo) 24^th Nov to 5^th Jan 2019

Courthouse Gallery and Studios (Clare) 18^th Jan to 23^rd Feb 2019

Solomon Gallery (Dublin) 7^th March to 30^th March 2019

The Hamilton Gallery (Sligo) 12^th April to 11^th May 2019

Cléa van der Grijn studied Fine Art in the National College of Ireland and now lives and works in Sligo. In 2015, Cléa had a 4 month residency in Mexico which marked major turning point in her practice. She created a large scale experimental installation called Reconstructing Memory, which was exhibited in The Model Sligo (2015), Limerick City Gallery of Art, Limerick, Rochester Arts Centre USA and The Solomon, Dublin. (2016). RM was a multifaceted textured exploration of the societal disparities in approaches to death in Mexican and Irish cultures. Film, photography, sculpture, painting and installation were all sensitively utilised in a rich, beautiful and considered exhibition. This new body of work JUMP to be exhibited in five venues around the county is the natural extension of her practice further exploring social and emotional constructs around loss, death and memory.

Other key works are; LIMINAL SPACES: ART, ARCHITECTURE and PLACE conceived by Cléa and curated with Megan Johnston, The Model (2015) with Corban Walker, Maurice O Connell, Oonagh Young, Andy Parsons and Felicity Clear. Other recent solo exhibitions include; Conflict, Ballina Arts Centre, Mayo (2014), Ambivalence, Cross Gallery, Dublin (2013), Ambivalence, “room” The Model, Sligo (2013) and Chance, in the Cross Gallery, Dublin and Hamilton Gallery, Sligo (2012).

JUMP is kindly supported by Sligo County Council.