THE title of this exhibition and a lengthy, involved title it is Fragmens sur Ies Institutions Republicaines IV The artist, Shane Cullen, apparently has had close access to written messages and notes from or between the H block hunger strikers in 1981. These were written on cigarette papers and the like and were passed on by various under ground means and subterfuges. Cullen has transcribed them carefully, even laboriously, which cannot have been an easy task.
The actual exhibits consist of a handful of large billboard like pieces on the walls, divided into eight columns so that they resemble blown up newspaper sheets. On a black background these "comms" are reproduced in white lettering, with dates and names. They make poignant reading, for the most part, and though the mentality they express is often simplistic, it is also courageous, clear and self sacrificing. Certainly they do not support the fashionable view that all extreme Northern republicans are necessarily bigots, psychopaths, social misfits etc.
Clearly this is an exhibition with a "message", social, political and psychological. As an exhibition per se it can scarcely be said to exist beyond a certain one dimension, almost shock" level and in fact while I was in the gallery, the only other visitor was a bored or bewildered woman who left quickly, leaving me alone with the attendant at the other end of the room. As a human document, however it has genuine emotional (and historical) impact and on that ground it fully justifies itself. In fact, the big, sombre, poster like works almost have the quality of large death notices.
Commentators and lecturers, meanwhile, are certain to have a field day. All the terminology of sociology, communications and a dozen kindred disciplines are likely to be aired which, after all, is at least half the raison detre of an exhibition such as this.