EVA International (previously known as Limerick Exhibition of Visual Art and e v + a) is a large-scale contemporary art exhibition that takes place every two years in the city of
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
,
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
. It is known as Ireland's biennial, and is held in even-numbered years.
History
!['Construction X', Luc Deleu for EV+A 1994](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/%27Construction_X%27%2C_Luc_Deleu_for_EV%2BA_1994.jpg)
The first incarnation of EVA International was The 77 Exhibition of Visual Art, created by the original committee with the mission statement of providing the public ‘with an opportunity to visit and experience an exhibition not normally available in the region and, at the same time, to stimulate an awareness of the visual arts here’. Between then and 2017, there have been 37 editions of the citywide exhibition.
Each edition is now curated by a different international curator of note, a practice that began with
Sandy Nairne
Alexander Robert "Sandy" Nairne (born 8 June 1953) is an English historian and curator. From 2002 until February 2015 he was the director of the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Life and career
Nairne is the son of senior civil servant Sir P ...
in 1979, the only exception to the international rule being Paul O’Reilly, Irish curator of the 1998 edition. The exhibit now has an international focus to its programming, aiming to bring international art to Limerick whilst increasing Ireland's standing in the international art world through invited curators.
EVA exhibits have taken place in a number of venues across the city, notably at the
Limerick City Gallery of Art
Limerick City Gallery of Art (LCGA; ga, Gailearaí Ealaíon Chathair Luimní) is an art museum in the city of Limerick, Ireland. It is run by Limerick City Council and is located in Pery Square, in the Newtown Pery area of the city.
The galle ...
, The
Hunt Museum
The Hunt Museum ( ga, Iarsmalann Hunt) is a museum in the city of Limerick, Ireland. The Hunt Museum holds a personal collection donated by the Hunt family, it was originally situated in the University of Limerick, before being moved to its pr ...
, and
King John's Castle. For each edition, artists are selected through an open call for submissions, beginning with the first exhibition in 1977. Between 1994 and 2010, the exhibit also included an ‘invited’ selection of artists in addition to those who responded to the open call for artists’ proposals.
Curator Matt Packer was named Director of EVA in March 2017. Packer was previously the Director of CCA Centre For Contemporary Art Derry ~ Londonderry.
Changes in name
The name of the Limerick event has gone through several incarnations, with the original edition being known as the ‘77 Exhibition of Visual Art, Limerick’, the exhibit has variously been known as Exhibition of Visual Art, EVA, and e v + a. Following incorporation as a company limited by guarantee in 2012, the organisation has operated under the business name ‘EVA International’.
Young EVA
Young EVA is the organisation's flagship education programme. Beginning in 1984, this has taken a variety of forms, frequently involving artist-led workshops with school-age groups, often resulting in an exhibition of young participants’ work.
Platform Commissions
Platform Commissions is a programme initiative started in 2018 by EVA International that focuses on the commission of works and projects by artists based in Ireland.
Editions
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official website
1977 establishments in Ireland
Recurring events established in 1977
Art exhibitions in Ireland
Art biennials
Events in the Republic of Ireland
Irish contemporary art
Culture in Limerick (city)