About the Lewis Glucksman Gallery
"A startling construction of limestone, steel and timber. Three floors of galleries display the best in both national and international contemporary art and installation."- Lonely Planet
About
The Glucksman is a contemporary art museum in the historic lower grounds of University College Cork. Named in honour of one of its founding donors, the American financier and philanthropist Lewis Glucksman, the building was opened by President Mary McAleese on 14 October 2004.
Designed by O'Donnell + Tuomey architects, the gallery has won numerous awards for its architecture and creative programmes. The Glucksman presents ambitious exhibitions of Irish and international art alongside a range of events and activities designed to encourage participation from all visitors, whether an art professional or first time gallery-goer.
As a place of creative connections between people and disciplines, the Glucksman provides an essential link for the University with the wider world, enabling public understanding of the visionary research undertaken in all four colleges, and welcoming students, staff and visitors to explore, enjoy and learn about art right in the heart of the UCC campus. In 2017, the Glucksman received 91,207 visits to the gallery with over 10,000 active participants in its education and events programme.
The Glucksman was the first museum in Munster to receive full accreditation on the Museum Standards Programme for Ireland and on 11 July 2017, the curatorial team received an award from Minister for the Arts in Dublin Castle for maintaining these standards across all areas of the museum's operations including Governance, Management, Collections, Documentation, Exhibitions, Education and Visitor Services.
The Exhibition
Josef and Anni Albers:
Voyage Inside a Blind Experience
Is it possible to experience abstract artworks without using your eyes? How can a visual art exhibition be experienced by people who are partially sighted or blind? Josef and Anni Albers: Voyage inside a blind experience considers these questions by presenting key works from the artists alongside tactile models, braille texts,and playful art encounters led by touch.
The works on display include Anni Albers’ hugely influential textile works, Josef Albers’ renowned Homage to the Square paintings, and a selection of his record cover designs accompanied by the original jazz music. The show also includes a darkroom where visitors are invited to explore objects by touch, as well as a section that reflects on the importance of Albers’ teaching that emphasised a sense of feeling as well as seeing art.
Developed in partnership with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and Atlante Servizi Culturali, along with the expertise of l’Istituto dei Ciechi di Milano, a leading institute for people who are visually impaired in Milan, Italy, the exhibition is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. Following its presentation at the Glucksman, the exhibition is touring to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia.