Cork 2005: Amanda Coogan

A 'choir' of over 100 performers will "head bang" to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, choral movement on Friday 30th September in Emmet Place in Cork. Teenagers and adults from all over Cork City are involved in this innovative performance helmed by Amanda Coogan and produced by the Granary Theatre in association with Cork 2005.

This outdoor performance will explore a collective hysteria and group energy. The action pushes the body to the boundaries of physical endurance and brings out issues of shamanism or ritual dance. As with all Performance Art the transference of energy between performers and audience is the most crucial part of the process.

Performance is at the heart of Coogan's art, and her powerful live events often form the basis for her videos and photographs. She has a real ability to condense an idea and to communicate it through her body. The performances are short, snappy and sassy, reflecting MTV generation values. She has her finger on the pulse of the modern psyche that allows her to connect with her audience. Sometimes the work paraphrases iconic images, like the sacred heart or Michelanglo's David, but the artist jolts her audience into finding new meaning in the familiar.

About the Artist Coogan studied sculpture in NCAD in Ireland and an M.A. in Performance Art in Germany with Marina Abramovic. She performed in 'Marking the Territories' at the Irish Museum of Modern Art 2001 and was an award winner at EV+A 2002, Limerick. She was selected by the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, for the Eurojets Futures exhibition in the same year. In 2003 Coogan performed at the Venice Biennale and at the P.A.C. Gallery, Milan. In 2004 Coogan was The Ailled Irish Bank 'Annual Artist of Promise' winner. She exhibited at the Irish Museum of Modern Art's Artists4Amnesty exhibition, The Liverpool Biennial International 04 and had a solo show at the Context Gallery in Derry as part of their Joyce festival. She also Performed in Performance loop, PS1 New York and at Cleaning the House NMAC, Malaga and for the opening of the MARTa museum, Herford, Germany. Amanda is a regular panel member on RTE's The View.

The Granary Theatre's series of Live Art events this year has pushed the boundaries of what one generally considers "theatre". Featuring artists such as Franko B, Andre Stitt, Ron Athey and of course Amanda Coogan, in Cork - Live Art is the new Rock' n Roll.

Pressetext

Granary Theatre Bodily Functions Series presents
HEAD BANGERS by Amanda Coogan
30.09.05, 18:00 Emmet Place, Cork
(by the Cork Opera House/Crawford Art Gallery)
www.granary.ie