Pandemonium: An Tobar’s Winter Open Exhibition

The exhibition will be open on Saturdays 11am – 4pm by appointment, and by arrangement.

Derived from Milton’s term for the capital city of Hell (Pandaemonium) there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on the exact meaning or spelling of the modern term Pandemonium.

One definition is: Wild confusion, a place of uproar and chaos.

I’ve chosen Pandemonium as the title for 2020’s open exhibition at An Tobar because it seems to encompass the notion of uproar and confusion, hinting at the idea of the pandemic and the distress and disruption that it has caused.

One of the most bizarre aspects of the situation has been the way in which we are presented with events being played out on screens, whilst we are contained in our own little Zoom cells, exacerbating a sense of helplessness.

The mass media has spent much of the time reflecting on the darker side of the events of the year. In reality, people from all walks of life have accomplished amazing things in 2020, despite the continuing and increasing pressure.

For an artist there is much to consider in these “interesting times”. Here are some quotations that seem relevant:

“Art is the highest form of hope, it is what brings us together.” Gerhard Richter.

“Art has always been the raft onto which we climb to save our sanity.” Dorothy Tanning.

“We’re never gonna survive unless we go a little crazy.” Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel aka Seal.

This exhibition will be our raft, its name will be Pandemonium. (Mike Darling)