Sean Lynch

The Weight Of The World

This exhibition of new and recent video installations by one of Ireland’s leading contemporary artists takes place across the adjacent sites of the Phoenix Gallery and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery.

Lynch forensically investigates anecdotes, hearsay and half-truths, unearthing marginalised stories that have been overlooked or fallen by the wayside. He forms them into evolving, alternative arrangements of history that aim to open up new understandings of our world.

The exhibition features the UK premiere of Adventure: Capital, the projected video element of Lynch’s show (of the same name), which represented Ireland at the 2015 Venice Biennale.

It also includes three new artworks that are directly informed by artefacts from RAMM’s collections, including The Vermiculation of Exeter, in which Lynch highlights examples of architectural stonework from the streets of Exeter, drawing our attention to possible symbolic and historic readings. Another work, Latoon, draws together themes of Irish folklore, motorway protest and the power of the media.

A new publication to accompany the exhibition, with an essay by Joanne Laws, texts by Sean Lynch and designed by Wayne Daly is also available in the gallery.

This project was initiated by contemporary visual arts organisation Spacex, Exeter Phoenix and RAMM.

The Weight Of The World is supported by Arts Council England, Exeter City Council, The Henry Moore Foundation, The Elephant Trust, and The Foyle Foundation.

See exhibition images here

Associated events

Exhibition opening and artists talk
Sat 14 May | 3pm – 5pm | free

Stone Carving Workshop
Tue 31 May

Carving The City in Soap
Thu 2 Jun

Vermiculation Walk
Thu 9 Jun

Meet The Metal Detectorists
Sun 26 Jun

Venue: Phoenix Gallery

Our main contemporary art space, exhibiting new work from regional, national and international artists.