Gallery goers get their skates on

Heaven’s Gate disaster inspired Brian Duggan’s work at Carlow’s VISUAL Centre, Tina O’Sullivan reports

‘EVERYTHING can be done, in principle’ is a collaboration between artist Brian Duggan and curator Helen Carey at VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art, Carlow. The work is a large installation featuring a timber barn in which the public are invited to roller-skate. The installation is based on a scene from the cult film Heavens’ Gate. The project was commissioned by VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art, Carlow Local Authority Arts Office and Éigse, Carlow Arts Festival.

Heaven’s Gate is a 219 minute western film based on the Johnson County War in Wyoming in the 1890s. It was a landmark film directed by Michael Cimino, released in 1980, which changed the way films were produced after its budget overran by tens of millions and shut United Artists studio.