04 Feb 2013

Andy Warhol at the MAC, Belfast

Over the course of a 30 year long career, Andy Warhol transformed contemporary art. This is the first significant exhibition of Warhol's work in Northern Ireland.

Andy Warhol is one of the most influential American artists to emerge in the post-war period. The power of Warhol's work comes from its focus on fundamental human themes – the beauty and glamour of youth and fame, material culture, the passing of time and the presence of death. Employing mass-production techniques, Warhol challenged preconceived notions about the nature of art and erased traditional distinctions between fine art and popular culture.

This exhibition includes work from the ARTIST ROOMS' impressive selection of 232 works which span the artist's entire body of work and reflect his eclectic career and vibrant personality.

The d'Offay Donation comprises a superb array of important works representing all phases of Warhol's career and a cross-section of media. The collection includes a unique selection of late diptychs as well as the celebrated four-part 'Camouflage' of 1986.

A selection of spectacular stitched photographs alongside a series of intriguing Polaroid self-portraits highlights his photographic work. The collection is complemented by over 50 Warhol posters from all periods of the artist's career, including his films and includes popular imagery from some of Warhol's most famous works including Chairman Mao, Hamburger, cow wallpaper and references to the famous nightclub, Studio 54.

Alongside the exhibition in all three galleries, there will also be a whole season of Warhol-inspired events in celebration of this unique occasion. From a Studio 54 disco night, featuring original resident DJ from the world-famous club, Nicky Siano, to live theatre in Gob Squad's Kitchen, where they attempt to reconstruct Warhol's films that captured the energy of the swinging sixties.


ARTIST ROOMS On Tour is a partnership with Arts Council England and the Art Fund, making available the ARTIST ROOMS collection of international modern and contemporary art to galleries throughout the UK. ARTIST ROOMS is jointly owned by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland and was established through The d'Offay Donation in 2008, with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund, and the Scottish and British Governments.