Fergus Byrne
On 11 October 2022 by Deej_Fabyc1Fergus Byrne – Artist’s Statement 2022
I am a multidisciplinary artist working in performance, sculpture, drawing and writing. I am based in
Dublin, Ireland. Performances integrate movement with objects. Through being activated these
objects create an energised, almost motorised state of the self upon which other more subtle actions
and sometimes spoken text is layered. The work recognises and examines parallels between
disciplines – sculpture, dance and drawing – and in placing the body at the centre of these
activities presents a phenomenological exploration of these parallels.
Bio 2022
Fergus Byrne is a multidisciplinary artist working in performance, sculpture and drawing.
He studied fine Art in NCAD in the 90s and then developed a solo performance practice. In 2003 he
completed an MA in Contemporary Performance practices at Hull University. He taught life drawing
for many years, which informed his own practise considerably.
His writing practice brings with it a particular viewpoint on performance work, exemplified in
‘Fragments on the Performance Collective’, in Performance Art in Ireland: A History. More recently he
has contributed to Art Action 1918 -2018, published by Le Lieu. He has previously curated events that
brought varied art forms and audiences together – Transversal series (2010-2012), curated in
collaboration with dancer and songwriter Deirdre Murphy, Generation at The Dock (2013) and Offside
Live I and II at the Hugh Lane Gallery with Pallas Studios (2005) In 2015 he collaborated with Ambra
Bergamasco in curating and producing the Moving Bodies Butoh Film Festival at The New Theatre,
Dublin.
Behind his performance practice are a range of physical trainings – Martial Arts, Body Weather
training and Contact Improvisation.
His work can be seen at www.fergusbyrne.ie
