Fashion Show: Clothing, Art and Activism

Curated by Chris Clarke and Fiona Kearney as part of the Creative Europe BEAM UP  project.

Fashion Show is an exhibition of Irish and international artists that looks at clothing as subject matter, material, and advocacy. From explorations of the ways in which fashion lends itself to self-representation to investigations into the economic and ecological effects of 'fast fashion,' the exhibition reveals how clothing becomes a means of activism and protest.

Presenting works such as Lucy and Jorge Orta's wearable objects that enable communication and interaction between strangers, Sibyl Montague's textile blankets made from recycled clothing, Wang Bing's durational film set in a Chinese garment factory, and Gluklya's installation of T-shirts protesting the election of Vladimir Putin, Fashion Show demonstrates how our choice of clothing serves to express more than our sense of style. The exhibition also features Malick Sidibé's iconic photographic portraits of Malian youth culture.

This exhibition is part of BEAM UP, a Creative Europe funded project to encourage the participation of people who are visually impaired in the planning and experience of museum activities. The displays will include a range of tactile elements, navigation and audio resources.

Fashion Show is supported by The Arts Council Ireland, Creative Europe, University College Cork and private philanthropy through Cork University Foundation.