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CASE HISTORIES

By Eamon O'Kane

An international touring exhibition of new commissioned work

Panorama: I Like Shopping Centres And Shopping Centres Like Me
The Economist Plaza
25th July — 5th September 2008

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	The contemporary art society and The Economist Group are pleased to present Eamon O'Kane's 'Panorama -- I like shopping centres and shopping centres like me' at the Economist Plaza. The exhibition is part of a major touring exhibition of the artist's work which will visit British and international venues in 2008 and 2009. The work comprises a 30m long black and white painting, situated in a panoramic structure. The painting reflects trees from nearby Green Park with architectural elements from the immediate surroundings of the Economist Plaza. The work is not accessible from the outside and can only be seen through viewing lenses. Some of the lenses look into the panoramic painting and others look into models of imaginary installations. The lenses distort the perspective so that the epic painting looks smaller while the models appear oversized, subtly confounding the viewer's expectations of the work. The panorama invites the viewer to look at the world in a way which is not possible in real life. Using familiar views from our surroundings, O'Kane unites architecture and nature in one structure. The spy-holes transform our perceptions of this reality, which cause the viewer to evaluate and question the world we live in. The title of the work refers to Joseph Beuys's famous action work, 'I Like America and America Likes Me'. It explores the idea of modern urban planning and its relationship to commerce. The installation is a hybrid of two phenomena of the 19th century: 'The Cyclorama' and 'The Kaiser Panorama'. It also refers to the work of Victor Gruen, an architect who invented the shopping mall intending it as a utopian space where people could meet and shop. He gradually became disenchanted by his creation as it spread cross America. 'Panorama -- I like shopping centres and shopping centres like me' was originally concieved for an exhibition curated by Carissa Farrell at Draiocht Arts centre in Ireland in 2006. To view a PDF of the catalogue click here. The installation will travel to Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris in Spring 2009.
	Contemporary Art Society 11-15 Emerald Street London WC1N 3QL Telephone: +44 (0)20 7831 1243 Fax: +44 (0)20 7831 1214 Email: cas@contempart.org.uk www.contempart.org.uk
	Works on paper
	economist study I, acrylic on paper, 30x30cm, 2008
	economist study II, acrylic on paper, 30x30cm, 2008
	robin hood study I, acrylic on paper, 30x30cm, 2008
	smithson plan remix I, pen on graph paper, 65 x 50cm 2008
	smithson plan remix II, pen on graph paper, 65 x 50cm 2008

 

 

© Eamon O'Kane 2008