Thursday 6 April 2017 – Saturday 27 May
Triskel Arts Centre, Cork
Film installation and accompanying exhibition by David Jacques using the infamous quote by OPEC originator Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo as a starting point to explore the devastating rise of an Oil industry tethered to Capitalism. The narrative then weaves through a variety of historical and thematic registers taking in Jungian theory, medieval Daemonology and Cold War era ‘Weird Fiction’.
Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo (1903-79) was a Venezuelan Minister for Energy and the Architect of the Oil Cartel OPEC. In 1975 he controversially stated: “Ten years from now, twenty years from now, you will see; oil will bring us ruin. Oil is the Devil’s excrement”.
The animation at the centre of David Jacques’ exhibition at Triskel Christchurch takes its title from Alfonzo’s prophetic call. A call that also acted as an invocation, ‘Oil is the Devil’s excrement’ was an allegoric line attributed to pre-modern Native peoples in Latin America.
Alfonzo’s claim focussed upon the rapid and powerful emergence of an Oil industry tethered to Capitalism and predicted a demise of mythic proportions. Jacques’ work uses this context as its starting point. His narrative then weaves through a variety of historical and thematic registers taking in Jungian theory, medieval Daemonology and Cold War era ‘Weird Fiction’.
David Jacques is a Multi-Media Artist based in Liverpool UK. He previously exhibited at Triskel in 2005 with a touring show of work developed whilst he was a recipient of the Firestation Dublin’s Artist in the Community Award.
‘Oil is the Devils Excrement’ exhibition opens at Triskel Christchurch on Thursday 6 April
Artist tour 5pm | Launch reception 6pm. Admission Free All Welcome
Exhibition open Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 4pm* (10am – 12pm only on Wednesdays) until Sat 27 May.
The video will play on big-screen 3.30pm-5.30pm on selected Tuesdays.
Tuesday Schedule
11/04/17 3.30pm-5.30pm
18/04/17 3.30pm-5.30pm
25/04/17 3.30pm-5.30pm
02/05/17 3.30pm-5.30pm
09/05/17 3.30pm-5.30pm
16/05/17 3.30pm-5.30pm
23/05/17 3.30pm-5.30pm
