17-century book by Czech philosopher part of Cork exhibition

A 17-century book by a Czech philosopher forms the basis of an upcoming exhibition at the equally ancient Elizabeth Fort in Cork, writes John Tynan.

Johann Amos Comenius is known as the ‘father of education’ and he lends his name to an element of the EU Erasmus programme.

His book Labyrinth of the World and Paradise of the Heart is still in print and it made an impression on Czech artist Tomas Penc when he learned of it in school.

Penc, while exploring the idea of a collaborative exhibition with Peter Nash, suggested the book’s themes could inspire their artwork.

“Comenius’s allegorical literary work follows a pilgrim’s journey through the world, at conclusion of which he finds peace in his heart.

“This heart is described in the book as an abandoned dwelling in disrepair. We work with this interpretation in the exhibition and draw a parallel between the disused dwellings located in the Elizabeth Fort and the inner life or psychological state of an individual as an intrinsic theme relating to all of us,” said Penc, who was smitten with Ireland when he came for a short visit in 2004.

“The exhibition will occupy two houses in the fort. We will have seven works, three by me and four by Peter, consisting of sculptures, audio/visual work, animation, projections and drawing.”

Nash has purposively adopted processes he feels act as a counter to the technological revolution the world is experiencing.

“I’m interested in how technology is changing our personal interactions with each other and with the wider world, along with affecting how we access information,” said Nash.

“Things have changed so fast in my own lifetime and a lot of my work is an attempt to keep up and adapt to this change.

I deliberately use quite archaic, slow-working methods, such as woodcarving and drawing, to investigate these themes, as a counterpoint to the rapidly moving digital age in which we find ourselves.”

The exhibition at Elizabeth Fort, Cork, runs from January 26 — February 8.