Momentous Times

The first two decades of the 20th century were undeniably momentous for the people of Ireland on many fronts. There were major strikes for dock, tram, and factory workers from Belfast to Cork, Galway to Limerick, from 1907 to 1913, culminating in the Dublin Lockout.

The centenary of the Dublin Lockout has prompted CCA to consider conditions of labour and the role of representation in shaping work and workers’ rights between three moments: 1913, 2013, and 2113. Through an exhibition, public forums, screenings, and a publication, Momentous Times examines the past, explores the present, and speculates about the future of labour. The exhibition features new and recent artworks by ten artists, whom many have never exhibited in Northern Ireland before.

Tying the project together and linking up with other art initiatives responding to the Lockout is Working Times, a newspaper edited by Aileen Burns, Johan Lundh and Helen Carey. The paper is produced in collaboration with Belfast Exposed; Gallery of Photography, Dublin; The Hugh Lane, Dublin; Limerick City Gallery of Art; Mockingbird Arts and Temple Bar Gallery+Studios, Dublin. Pick up a free copy of Working Times in one of the venues listed above or download it here.