Alastair MacLennan at The Hunterian
Alastair MacLennan is one of the UK's most significant and prolific performance artists. His performances, which he terms 'actuations' reflect on political, social and cultural issues and malfunctions. He developed his own distinctive form of performance art in the early 1970s and continues to create new work using sculpture, installation and drawing. This August Alastair will join us in the Hunterian Art Gallery for a one off performance and talk over the course of two days, responding to the work of Irish artist Cathy Wilkes.
Date: Thursday 29 August 2024 - Friday 30 August 2024
Time: 18:00 - 20:00
Venue: Hunterian Art Gallery
Category: Hunterian
Speaker: Alastair MacLennan
Alastair MacLennan is one of the UK's most significant and prolific performance artists. This August, Alastair joins us in the Hunterian Art Gallery for a one off performance and talk.
Alastair's performances, which he terms 'actuations' reflect on political, social and cultural issues and malfunctions. He developed his own distinctive form of performance art in the early 1970s and continues to create new work using sculpture, installation and drawing.
Many of Alastair's works and actuations respond to the period of the Troubles, with the artist having lived in Belfast since 1975. At this event, Alastair will respond to the work of Irish artist Cathy Wilkes in his actuation 'FRO FROM'.
Alastair MacLennan was born in Scotland and has lived and worked in Belfast since 1975. His achievements as an artist have had a significant influence on performance art, nationally and internationally. MacLennan is best known for his distinctive form of performance art which he terms ‘actuations’, but his artistic practice embraces drawing, installation and the use of found objects, materials and artefacts, which are often combined within his actuations. In 1997 MacLennan represented Ireland at the Venice Biennale with intermedia work commemorating all those who had died as a result of the Troubles in Northern Ireland since 1969. MacLennan is currently Emeritus Professor of Fine Art, from the University of Ulster, Belfast, an Honorary Fellow of Dartington College of Art, Devon and an Honorary Associate of the National Review of Live Art, Glasgow.