Exploring what’s really in the national interest

Works on the Cork Art Trail don’t only deal with Irish issues. There’s also an exhibition on the Bosnian war, says Carl Dixon

THE title of Art Trail 2011, Cork’s festival of contemporary art, is National Interest. It seeks to explore the notion of national identity. What elements define modern Ireland: its ferocious cycle of boom and bust, its acceptance of bland consumerism and rejection of church and politics, its fascination with celebrity, its multi-ethnicity, its amazing literary, musical and sporting traditions, its people, its corporate tax rate, its aspiration to be a tourist playground, or the long shadow of its history?

Is Ireland defined by our view of ourselves or by the way other countries view us? Perhaps this is a question that is particularly relevant at this present moment, as the financial crisis and actions of certain leaders threaten to sever the slender bonds which hold the EU together.