A series of papers based on roundtable discussions and interviews, as well as defined by once-off, self-published editions.
Highly invested conversations about how we work take place in convivial situations, outside the structures of academic and arts institutions. The Metropolitan Complex Papers stake a critical claim on this activity, not as a means to territorialize or professionalize its relevance, but rather to declare its value and legitimacy in a larger discourse.
All papers are printed in editions of 450-1000 and are distributed for free, except for the limited editions (Papers No. 12 and 14).
Published by The Metropolitan Complex ISSN 2009-0455.
Roundtable Discussion: Daniel Jewesbury, Caoimhín Mac Giolla Léith, Declan Long (Chair), Rachael Thomas, and Sarah Pierce. On Monday 28 January 2008, the following conversation took place at the National College of Arts and Design in Dublin. Declan Long invited the participants to have a roundtable discussion on issues around contemporary art and national representation. There was no audience present.
Available 5 December 2008.
A limited edition CD made on the occasion of Underground curated by Dennis McNulty and Peter Maybury at Road Records, Dublin for the Darklight Festival (27 June - 6 July 2008). Angela Bulloch, Heri Dono, Max Eastley, Brian Eno, Stephan Von Heune, Ryoji Ikeda, Philip Jeck, Christina Kubisch, Thomas Köner, Chico MacMurtrie, Christian Marclay, Katarina Matiasek, Russell Mills, Mariko Mori, John Oswald, Lee Ranaldo, Scanner, Paul Schutze, and Ian Walton
First edition of 10 printed in Dublin 2008.
In a diversion from its usual format, Paper No. 13 presents a text written in 1959 by the American sociologist C. Wright Mills. Chapter One: The Promise is the entry point into Mills's seminal work, The Sociological Imagination. In it he calls for a mindset, a way of looking at the world that sees links between the private problems of the individual and important social issues. Within this intricate range of connections individual life happens, societies occur.
Original issue available only through OEI, Stockholm.
A limited edition CD printed on the occasion of Our Day Will Come, a project by Paul O'Neill for NEKROMANTIC at Zoo Art Fair, 13-15 October 2006, presented by temporarycontemporary.
Peter Lewis, Elizabeth Price, Craig Smith, Maria Fusco, Jason Coburn.
Between 17 and 20 May 2005, a series of one-to-one conversations took place in Redux, London. Sarah Pierce invited each participant to have an informal discussion in the context of the exhibition Coalesce/Remix, curated by Paul O'Neill. There was no audience present.
First edition of 40 printed in Dublin 2006.
Roundtable Discussion: Jesse Jones, Ken McCue, Sally Timmons, Wes Wilkie and Sarah Pierce.
On Thursday 6 October 2005, the following conversation took place in the Moore Street Lending Library in Dublin. Sarah Pierce : invited the participants to have an informal discussion. There was no audience present.
Original back issues available.
Roundtable Discussion: Fergus Kelly, Dennis McNulty, Garrett Phelan and Sarah Pierce.
On Wednesday 27 April 2005, the following conversation took place in studio 27 of Temple Bar Gallery in Dublin. Sarah Pierce invited the participants to have an informal discussion. There was no audience present.
Original back issues available.
In Conversation: Ciaran Walsh and Sarah Pierce.
On Tuesday 5 April 2005, Sarah Pierce invited Ciaran Walsh to have a conversation in the garden of the Scuola di San Pasquale in the Castello district, Venice. There was no audience present.
Original back issues available.
Roundtable Discussion: Rachel Urkowitz, Gareth James, Martine Kaczynski, Jimbo Blachly, Graham Parker and Sarah Pierce.
On Saturday 9 October 2004 the following conversation took place in the studio wing of PS1 MoMA in New York. Sarah Pierce invited the participants to have an informal discussion. There was no audience present.
Original back issues available.
In Conversation: Sarah Pierce interviews Sarah Glennie and Adam Sutherland.
On Friday 3 September 2004, the following conversation took place between Sarah Glennie's house in Irishtown, Dublin and the Grizedale Arts office in England's Lake District. Sarah Pierce invited Adam Sutherland and Sarah Glennie to have an informal discussion about Romantic Detachment, a project based in the studio-wing of PS1 between 4 October and 7 November 2004. Sarah Glennie and Sarah Pierce spoke to Adam Sutherland over the phone.
Out-of-stock.
Roundtable Discussion: Vaari Claffey, Louise Walsh, Declan Long, Susan Kelly, Willie McKeown, Grant Watson, and Sarah Pierce.
On Wednesday 28 April, Monday 10 May and Tuesday 18 May 2004, the following conversations took place in Grant Watson's office at Project, Dublin. Sarah Pierce invited the participants to have an informal discussion over 3 meetings about practice, activism, art, and politics. There was no audience present.
Original back issues available.
In Conversation: Matthew Bakkom and Sarah Pierce : Libraries.
On Thursday 20 May 2004, the following conversation took place in Matthew Bakkom's studio at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin. Sarah Pierce invited Bakkom to have an informal discussion about libraries. There was no audience present.
Out-of-stock.
Roundtable Discussion: Natasa Petresin, Alenka Gregoric, Ajdin Basic and Sarah Pierce.
PART TWO: Slovenia Ireland
On Monday 8 March 2004, the following conversation took place in Equrna Gallery, Ljubljana. Sarah Pierce invited the participants to have an informal discussion about Ireland as the second of two conversations involving artists and curators in Ireland and Slovenia. Each conversation asks participants about the other country, specifically its art scene, taking into account how an image of a place forms through a combination of international and local points of reference. There was no audience present.
Out-of-stock.
Roundtable Discussion: Aisling O'Beirn, Shane Cullen, Alan Phelan and Sarah Pierce.
PART ONE: Ireland Slovenia
On Sunday 8 February 2004, the following conversation took place in Alan Phelan's studio in the Fire Station, Dublin. The participants are artists who live and work in Ireland. Sarah Pierce invited them to have an informal discussion about Slovenia as the first of two discussions involving Ireland and Slovenia. Each conversation asks participants about the other country, specifically its art scene, taking into account how an image of a place forms through a combination of international and local points of reference. There was no audience present.
Out-of-stock.
Roundtable Discussion: Grace Weir, Jacinta Lynch, Mark O'Kelly, Patrick Murphy, Paul O'Neill, and Sarah Pierce.
On Tuesday 21 October 2003, the following conversation took place in the Royal Hibernian Academy's artist studio in Dublin. The participants are artists, curators, or both, who at sometime or another have lived and worked in Dublin. Pierce invited them to have an informal discussion. There was no audience present.
Original back issues available.
Roundtable Discussion: Alan Phelan, Annie Fletcher, Brian Hand, Finola Jones, Mark Garry, Grant Watson, Vaari Claffey and Sarah Pierce.
On Saturday 25 January 2003, the following conversation took place in Sarah Pierce's studio in Broadstone, Dublin. The participants are artists, curators or both. They have all curated in Dublin, independently or within an institution. Pierce invited them to have an informal discussion. There was no audience present.
Original back issues available.