Towards a Newer Laocoön

Towards a Newer Laocoön

In this talk we explore the National College of Art and Design’s (NCAD) collection of remnant classical sculpture casts, objects and artefacts by reflecting on their provenance and purpose. Thereafter, we journey towards a sculptural lineage exemplified in contemporary work and relate to what proclaimed significance is held by our many publics today.

Notes on the event title: “Towards a Newer Laocoon” (1940) is an essay by critic Clement Greenberg, first published in the Partisan Review. The title references the text “Laocoon: An Essay on the Limits of Painting and Poetry” (1766) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and “The New Laokoön” (1910) by Irving Babbitt. This event’s title borrows from the artwork by artist Sarah Pierce, Towards a Newer Laocoön, presented in the NCAD Gallery in 2012, that looks at these legacies via the art academy and student protest. 

Location: NCAD Gallery, 100 Thomas Street, Dublin D08 K521, Ireland.

Access: 20 places, on site in person through booking confirmation via gallery@staff.ncad.ie

Time: 10AM-11AM, Saturday 30 April 2022. Gallery open / exhibits on view to the wider public until 2PM.

Speaker: Anne Kelly, is a new researcher and curator of the NCAD Gallery, National College of Art and Design, Ireland.