"VIEWS from an Island" is the last event in the Irish Festival being held in Beijing and Shanghai.

　　Although the history of visual arts in Ireland may seem to be less glorious than its literary and musical traditions, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, established in 1991, has helped contemporary Irish art to catch up with the world.

　　The exhibition features tapestry work by Louis le Brocquy, one of Ireland's best known artists, and nearly 60 works by 22 other artists in painting, installation, video and photography.

　　The works feature common subjects of contemporary life such as globalization, consumerism, environmental and gender issues, as well as the political struggles closely related to the Irish reality.

　　"We hope views from a small country on an island might be different and offer some enlightment for Chinese artists," said the curator of the show, Catherine Marshall.

　　"Irish art tends to be figurative instead of abstract," Marshall said. Art works are often created to tell stories, because Irish artists were not so much exposed to abstract art, but more importantly, Marshall said, it was because artists believed that with figurative language, they can speak more powerfully on specific political issues.

　　But the country's emphasis on literature and music has left the visual arts somewhat neglected.

　　Brocquy's works are tapestries adapted from illustrations of an Irish legend, "The Tain", a story about a young hero fighting to protect his people against invasion by Queen Medb. The illustrations were published in 1969 but made into tapestries only in 2001.

　　Among the total of 23 artists on show, 12 are women. Clare Langan's video work offers fantastic futuristic pictures, which are frightening but strikingly beautiful.

　　Till July 7

　　Shanghai Art Museum

　　325 Nanjing Xilu

　　Tel: 6327-4025

　　20 yuan

　　By Yvonne Zhang