Artist Statement
‘The most advanced form of the contemporary consensual state is that which requires the generation of new situations of insecurity to enforce its governance.’
(Jacques Rancière, 2010)
Fortas’ research interests include politics, aesthetics, distribution of power in the state and role of the photographic image allied to Jacques Rancière’s notion of dissensus.
At the core of it is an investigation of how aesthetic treatment influences the production of a political message in the photographic process and how the distribution of power in terms of the photographer, photographic image and the viewer, can be analysed.
It proposes a conceptual framework for the photographic analysis, where the studium aspect of an image suppresses the punctum, and also situates the photographer and the viewer on the creative side of meaning production, with particular emphasis on the medium’s combinatory capacity.
Process Statement
His practice can be characterised as consisting of a combination of documentary-style fieldwork and constructed studio practice and both of a very formal aesthetic rigor.
Fortas’ photographs have been exhibited both nationally and internationally including ‘What Matters Now?’ at the Aperture Foundation, New York, Belfast Photo Biennial, Photo Ireland Festival, Aleppo Photo Festival, Syria, Neu/Now Festival in Porto and FORMTAT13 Photography Festival – the UK’s leading international contemporary festival of photography and related media curated by Louise Clements.
Darek’s images from the project ‘Coal Story’ will be exhibited as a part of ‘Lockout and Labour’ exhibition at Limerick City Gallery of Art. ‘Lockout and Labour’, curated by Helen Carey is a keynote exhibition to mark the forthcoming centenary of the 1913 Dublin Lockout.
He is the winner of the Propeller Fine Art Award 2011. His recent project ‘Coal Story’ has been nominated for the Alliance Française 2nd Photography Award and shortlisted by Chris Hammond of MOT International for Claremorris Open Exhibition 2011.
Fortas has been also nominated for The Foam Paul Huf Award 2012 – the most prestigious award across the globe awarded to photographers born before January 1st 1976.
Fortas is a recipient of Arts Council’s Visual Art Project Award for 2013. This generous support will enable him to professionally realise brand new body of work under the working title “At Source”.
He is also recipient of Culture Ireland’s International Culture Programme Grant 2013 and Adam Mickiewicz Grant 2013.
His work has been published in Irish Arts Review, Source Photographic Review, Uncertain States and variety of on-line photography blogs and magazines.
Fortas is a chief photo editor at Prism Photography Magazine.
He is currently not represented by any gallery.
ives and works in Dublin, Ireland
00353 (0) 87 645 1473
info@darekfortas.com
www.darekfortas.com
www.prismphotomagazine.com
Education:
2007-2011 Dublin Institute of Technology, BA (Hons) Photography – First Class Honours Degree & DIT MEDAL
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2013/08 – ‘Labour and Lockout’ (curated by Helen Carey, participating artist: Darek Fortas, Anthony Haughey, Mark Curran, Jesse Jones, Megs Morley & Tom Flanagan, Seamus Farrell, Deirdre Power, Sean Lynch, Deirdre O’Mahony), Limerick City Gallery of Art, Ireland
2013/02 – BLOCK T, Top Ten, UA’sFine Art Category Group Show, Dublin, Ireland
2012/12 – Salon Art Prize, The Griffin Gallery, London
2012/10 – Salon Art Prize, Matt Roberts Art, London
2012/10 – ‘In The Black’, The Black Mariah, curated by Matt Packer & The Black Mariah, Cork
2012/10 – ‘Agents of Change:Photography and the Politics of Space’, Photobook Show, Brighton Photo Biennial, UK
2012/09 – ‘Global Change Personal Stories’, 11th International Photo Festival, Aleppo, Syria
2012/07 – ‘On Migration’, PhotoIreland Festival, Irish Museum of Contemporary Art, Dublin
2012/04 – Alliance Française 2nd Photography Prize Group Show, Dublin
2012/02 – Foto Foyle,Tower Museum, Derry
2011/11 – RUA RED, Winter Exhibition, Tallaght, Dublin
2011/09 – ‘What Matters Now?’, Aperture Foundation, New York
2011/07 – The Copper House Gallery, Propeller Finalist Group Exhibition, Dublin
2011/08 – Belfast Photo Festival, Open Submission Exhibition, Belfast
2011/07 – PhotoIreland Festival, Four Floors Exhibition, Dublin
2011/06 – DIT Photography BA Grad Show, Gallery of Photography, Dublin
2010/07 – Photo Ireland Festival, Open Submission Exhibition, The Complex, Smithfield, Dublin
2010/05 – Full Spectrum, 3rd Year DIT Photography, Mill Street Gallery, Dublin
2010/03 – For the Love of Change, Mill Street Gallery, Dublin
2009/12 – Interpret, Irish Design Shop, Bow Lane East, Dublin
2009/08 – For the Love of … , Mill Street Gallery, Dublin
Solo Exhibitions:
2013/03 – ‘FORMAT13 Photography Festival’, The Chocolate Factory, Derby, UK (upcoming)
2012/07 – Coal Story, Now Art Festival, Galeria do Palácio Porto, Portugal
2012/01 – Coal Story, The Copper House Gallery, Dublin
2009/11 – The View of Photography: After-Party Portraits, The Crow Gallery, Dublin
Curatorial, Editorial & Lecturing Experience:
2012/12 – Neu/Now Festival, Visual Arts Jury Member (project by ELIA – European League of Institutes of the Arts & European Commission DG Education and Culture)
2012/10 – Visiting Lecturer, Dublin Institute of Technology, Photography Dept. Dublin, Ireland
2011/06 – Prism Photography Magazine – photo editor
2010/06 – Photo Volume – founder & photo editor
2010/05 – Full Spectrum, DIT Photography Exhibition, Mill Street Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
2009/11 – The View of Photography: After-Party Portraits, The Crow Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
Selected Publications:
2012/10 – Uncertain States quarterly photography newsprint publication, London
2012/07 – Now/Neu Festival 2012 catalouge, Porto/Amsterdam
2012/07 – PhotoIreland Festival 2012 catalouge & portfolio review book
2012/07 – Flak Photo collection
2012/07 – Prism Photography Magazine #06
2011/09 – Irish Arts Review, Autumn Issue.
2011/08 – Source Photographic Review, Booklet with Graduate Photography 2011 Focus in Ireland & UK
2010/09 –”Intimacy” (Issue 5), SuperMassiveBlackHole Photography
Magazine
Awards:
2013/02 – Adam Mickiewicz Institute grant
2012/11 – Visual Art Project Award, Arts Council of Ireland
2012/11 – Culture Ireland, International Culture Programme grant
2012/07 – PhotoIreland Festival 2012 portfolio review winner
2012/01 – The Foam Paul Huf Award 2012 nominee
2012/01 – 2nd Alliance Française Photography Award nominee
2011/10 – Dublin Institute of Technology Medal
2011/07 – Propeller Fine Art Award
2011/07 – Shortlisted by Chris Hammond of MOT International for Claremorris Open Exhibition
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