‘Where everything aligns so perfectly’
- Shaina Hurley, Love is Blind, Season 2
Acid Reflux began as a collective exasperation over artistic burnout.
But, perhaps ironically – due to Aoife and Sorcha’s various other work commitments over the past 18 months – representing this joint exasperation in exhibition form never fully took on its own shape.
Instead, what has emerged is the story of an unlikely friendship; a curious, intriguing duet, crossing over the four provinces of this island and culminating in a collection of shared experiences, finally taking place in the Belfast gallery space.
Both Ward and McNamara have a penchant for the discarded object – an urge to manipulate, transform, subvert and ‘make better’ what was once loved, in some small, molecular way. What does this say about them? Who knows. And does it even matter? It does.
Acid Reflux truly began as a blind date, with Platform Arts acting as a mutual friend, or chaperone. What were originally two separate proposals have been brought together as one, with both artists adopting the other’s words, re-moulding their individual subjectivity and questioning their respective ways of working, thinking and being, resulting in something far greater than the two of them.
This is serious playfulness.
Methodical spontaneity.
Calculated adhocism.
Are you serious?
C’mon, lighten up.