about
.good hatchery.
The Good Hatchery is an experimental project that sets out to challenge the norms for the production and presentation of contemporary art in Ireland today. We are committed to the support of artists in the production of high quality progressive art works. We promote an ethos of DIY and sustainability that takes advantage the spread of information and online learning opportunities enabled by our global age. TGH, its development and work are all closely aligned with a broad understanding of what resource is.
The Good Hatchery is based in the rural bog lands of north Offaly in the Irish Midlands. Currently run by visual artists Carl Giffney and Ruth E Lyons, TGH operates a curatorial programme of residencies, on site projects and exhibitions. TGH offers residential studios and workshop spaces to artists for the realisation of ambitious artworks free of charge. The Good Hatchery is also the name of a collaborative practice conducted by the two artists, that often deals with issues that relate to TGH. With it they often embody their approach to art making methods developed in the deep rural.
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“The location in which the Good Hatchery is based is a fascinating one which for various histrorical reasons, has been overlooked by investment and tourism. The surrounding landscape is characterised by vast expanses of flat industrial bogland. Within the county of Offaly as a whole there is not one dedicated gallery space. All these issues combine to make it a raw and challenging context for the production and presentation of contemporary art. Throughout our curated projects we encourage artists to confront the challenges and new opportunities inherent in this context. We feel that the practice of contemporary art in Ireland can be enriched by artists challenging themselves to work outside their comfort zones and in doing so that new audiences can be reached.
We are interested in the affect that global networking has had on rural space. We encourage artists to go against the trend of centralisation and avail of the space and the aesthetic and contextual opportunities available in rural areas which in light of the spread of broadband internet no longer bear the stigma of isolation.”
-Ruth E Lyons, 2010