Biography

Alex Conway, born in 1969 in the West of Ireland and currently lives in Dublin. Conway is a versatile artist known for his multidisciplinary approach that encompasses performance, painting, sculpture, video, sound and music. His work has been featured in various exhibitions and galleries such as Right Here Right Now in Kilmanham Gaol, Dublin; Catalyst Arts Gallery, Belfast; Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin; Limerick City Gallery, and Triskel Arts Centre, Cork. His work is part of private collections in Ireland and The USA. Conway has also actively participated in international events such as Fix 07, Belfast, Northern Ireland , URL Istanbul in Turkey and Varna in Bulgaria.

His work often features enigmatic subject matter, delving into the realms of magic, absurdity, and a camaraderie with failure. His unique approach incorporates improvisation as a key method, allowing him to craft intricate narratives that transcend traditional artistic boundaries. He often makes site-specific responses to locations, utilizing extensive research alongside improvisation as a vital tool. His work is commited to engaging with the present moment.
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Conway's artistic practice is characterized by his exploration of the intersection between shamanism and technology. He is interestd in how technology can make real what Shamanism would have aspired to making possible: such as flight, healing and fabricated or alternative realities.

In Shamanism, the shaman is the door keeper to the after life, to mortal and immortal beings. In our contemporary context Apple is the new shaman, developing technology with trimendous powers of communication and information. Shamanism creates a belief system where individuals form community, with leadership that holds privelege in society. The leader acts as a confidence trickster, with spiritual confidence for the community. This figure projects charisma that draws the confidence of the community. Imagination is the super drug – it expands our capacity, getting into a meditative state, and appreciating the scale of the universe and the expanded realm of experience. VR and gaming offer similar experiences, a portal into other realms and offer an extension of our understanding of the world and what is possible.

Conway is interested in developing a Low-fi form of working with these ideas, often using adhoc constructions, microphones and pic ups to create experiences for the audience that try to explore and manipulate our powers of perception. He often holds this position as trickster, the charismatic leader that is shaping our understanding of reality which in turn, maybe but an illusion.