The 20th exhibition of Visual Art (EV+A), which opens in Limerick on Friday, will be "the largest and most widespread display of public art in the country", Arthur Quinlan reports from Limerick.
At a press conference yesterday to announce details of the exhibition, the Mayor of Limerick, Mr Jim Kemmy TD, said "As a nation we are considered to be visually illiterate, but EV+A will make us use our eyes. EV+A will cost £250,000 to stage.
Mr Hugh Murray, committee chairman, said EV+A had become established as a major international exhibition to which the Arts Council had increased its subsidy by 100 per cent to £100,000 this year. It features 60 international artists with a strong French input.
This year's adjudicator, Mr Guy Tortosa, is senior visual arts officer at the French Ministry of Education and Culture.
The exhibition, which is spread over 25 venues around Limerick, and Shannon for the first time, will run for eight weeks until May 4th next.