VISUAL artist Jesse Jones has been announced as recipient of the inaugural Creative Residency Award from the Honourable Society of King’s Inns and Dublin City Council Culture Company.
The six-month residency begins on September 1 and will support Jones to explore her practice and the theme of art and law.
She will also develop a new work, with reference to King’s Inns and the historic environment of Henrietta Street where both organisations are based.
“We are delighted to provide a mechanism, support and space through this partnership for an artist of Jesse’s calibre to develop her work as part of this inaugural residency,” said Iseult Byrne, CEO, Dublin City Council Culture Company.
“It has been a pleasure to begin this partnership with King’s Inns and we look forward to working closely with Jesse and the advisory group for this residency in the coming months.
“This residency is a unique opportunity for us to help develop and strengthen cultural impact through collaboration, by providing essential resources and support directly to artists working in Dublin.”
Jones’ work has a strong connection to law and activism, perhaps most noticeably seen in ‘Tremble Tremble’, her representation for Ireland at the 2017 Venice Biennale.
In continuation of this interest, she plans to collaborate with legal advisors, key workers and activists to create a new work for her creative residency.
"I am deeply honoured to take part in this new and exciting collaboration between the Honourable Society of King's Inns and Dublin City Council Culture Company,” Jones said.
“The law has always been an important touchstone in my practice from a feminist perspective in relation to justice and our collective values as a society.
“I hope this residency will allow me to explore this further in my practice. It is a unique opportunity to access the inner workings of the King's Inns as a site of learning, archiving of the law and in a community context in and of itself, which is richly connected to the history and practice of the law in Ireland.”
The residency will provide Jones with unprecedented access to King’s Inns’ venue and resources, including the library, park, staff and students as well as offering accommodation, living expenses and artwork production alongside opportunities for shared practice and peer learning.
The work developed as part of the residency will be hosted by the Honourable Society of King’s Inns for public presentation.
“This represents a new adventure for King’s Inns,” said Mary Griffin, CEO of the Honourable Society of King’s Inns.
“Our members have always made valuable contributions to many aspects of society and we feel it is timely and appropriate to explore how the arts and legal communities can complement each other.
“I was bowled over by the number and quality of the applications received in response to the open call and would like to thank the selection panel and acknowledge the ongoing contribution of the advisory group."