Patient Labyrinth
Photos by Fionn McCann
Patient Labyrinth artwork exhibition launches in Rua Red
“In a maze, you lose yourself; in a labyrinth, you find yourself.”
‘Patient Labyrinth’, a new artwork and exhibition from Junk Ensemble in Rua Red Galleries, is both a maze and a labyrinth, exploring the delicate boundary between two worlds: the one in which we lose our way and the one we try to find our way out of.
The exhibition weaves together myth, folk magic, and ritual to explore how we navigate uncertainty, entrapment, and transformation.
As our constructed and natural world unravels to near collapse, we rely on storytelling as a tool for connection, a tool for protection.
The labyrinth is a mirror, a code, a key, a tensabarrier, a narrative and a fabrication, a reflection of ourselves and our worlds.
Drawing from the Greek myth of Ariadne’s thread and Mincéirí/Traveller folklore, the exhibition unfolds as a labyrinth within a labyrinth where the five elements mark the thresholds, each an echo, a path, a memory, and a reminder.
Associated events coming up in Rua Red include a ‘Patient Labyrinth’ publication launch on Friday, January 16 from 6pm to 9pm, which includes a response essay by Jesse Jones and poetry by Oein DeBhairduin and Julia O’Leary O’Reilly.
The launch will feature a durational performance by dance artist Róisín Harten.
There will also be a ‘Screening and Artist Talk’ on Thursday, January 22 from 5pm to 6:30pm, which consists of a screening of a film on the process and research behind Patient Labyrinth, followed by a panel conversation with Jessica and Megan Kennedy (Junk Ensemble) and Jesse Jones.
Finally, ‘Kitchen Piseogs’ takes place on Saturday, January 31 from 11am to 1:30pm; it is a hands-on workshop exploring the folk magic, craft and meaning in everyday objects from the kitchen and outdoor spaces.
This will be facilitated by Oein DeBhairduin and Julia O’Leary O’Reilly.
The ‘Patient Labyrinth’ exhibition launched on Friday, December 12 at 6pm and runs until 9pm; it will be available to view in Rua Red’s Art Gallery until February 7, 2026.
