The Montenotte Hotel launches its annual Summer Sculpture Exhibition in association with The Kildare Gallery
Continuing its mission to embrace the arts, The Montenotte Hotel in Cork launches its annual Sculpture Exhibition today in association with The Kildare Gallery. Centred upon the theme of Humour, Imagination & Joy this year, the spectacular collection of contemporary pieces from some of the best and emerging Irish and international sculptors have been selected – including a sculpture by Dawn Conn, an up-and-coming UK-based artist who most recently exhibited at Chelsea Flower Show and Dublin’s Bord Bia Bloom.
The exhibition has become an annual tradition and is now in its fifth year and showcases The Montenotte’s commitment to supporting the arts and highlighting its vibrant design ethos. Known for featuring both leading and emerging artists, The Kildare Gallery has a prominent annual presence at Ireland’s largest garden festival, Bord Bia Bloom, where they have won numerous medals to date. The Kildare Gallery selected 39 pieces from some 20 artists for this year’s Sculpture Exhibition and carefully curated their placement amidst the existing garden landscape, incorporating the variety of plants and flowers into the exhibition to create a journey for the viewer. A wide array of materials has been incorporated into this year’s sculptures, ranging from stone and bronze to concrete, copper, stainless steel, and even bog oak.
As Ireland’s only Victorian Sunken Garden, The Montenotte Hotel’s grounds have a heritage dating back over 200 years. After a long period hidden by neglect and overgrowth, the landscape gardeners of the hotel worked with Garden Designer, Dominik Cullinane to restore the gardens which now serve as a stunning setting for this remarkable exhibition of sculptures, as well as artworks from previous years that are on show permanently. The Montenotte Hotel was recently awarded the Best Landscaped City Hotel in Ireland, highlighting Cullinane’s use of natural topography without bringing disruption to natural habitats as well as the water feature which encourages an array of wildlife inhabiting and using the gardens.
Frits Potgieter, General Manager at The Montenotte Hotel, said: “This annual exhibition celebrates our hotel’s connection to the arts and gives us the opportunity to showcase and support Irish and international artists. We are thrilled to be continuing our partnership with The Kildare Gallery for the fifth year and look forward to welcoming visitors into our gardens to enjoy the magical intertwining of nature and art. Every summer our hotel team looks forward to welcoming back previous visitors as well as watching new guests and generations discover a love for art at this wonderful exhibition.”
Co-owner of The Kildare Gallery, Ruth Liddle stated, “Once again we have the honour and privilege of showcasing sculptures from many of the amazing contemporary artists we work with. The Montenotte Hotel’s unique gardens provide an amazing outdoor setting to share our selection of dynamic pieces around this year’s theme of Humour, Imagination & Joy. We’re very proud of this year’s exhibition and hope it will be enjoyed by countless visitors throughout the summer.”
Embracing its prestigious heritage and grand architecture with more contemporary ideals, the hotel showcases an eclectic art and sculpture collection throughout the communal spaces and grounds of the hotel. The Montenotte Hotel is the perfect destination for art-lovers and culture-seekers, inviting guests to visit the multi-award-winning, design-led destination hotel on their next trip to Cork.
The sculpture exhibition is open daily from 10am at The Montenotte Hotel from 21st June until August 2023.
