“Art is what you can get away with…”
I’m not the biggest fan of pop art, to be perfectly honest. I like the colours and shapes and bold statements, but it wouldn’t be my first choice of art to hang in my home.
However, when I heard that an Andy Warhol exhibition was coming to the MAC in Belfast, I realised that I had spent far too many hours in media lectures at Uni to turn down the chance to see some of Warhol’s work for myself.
This exhibition is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, and the first in Ireland for 14 years and is running from the 8th February to the 28th March. The exhibition features a massive 90 pieces of Warhol’s art, displayed across all three galleries in the MAC. These artworks hail from both Artist Rooms and The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.
There are some well known pieces, such as Cow Wallpaper and Dollar Sign, alongside some more obscure paintings, that really are worth seeing. The exhibition is also free and even includes screenings of some of Warhol’s art house films (such as Empire, Eat and Sleep). A trip to the MAC is always a good time, and the Andy Warhol exhibition is definitely worth taking a look at. You might even get inspired!
Alongside this exhibition are a number of Warhol-inspire events such as a Studio 54 disco night, with the original DJ Nicky Siano, and live theatre in Gob Squad’s Kitchen, where they attempt to recreate the atmosphere of the swinging sixties and reconstruct Warhol’s films. I think that with this exhibition the MAC are proving just how world class they are as a venue.
