Declan Clarke February 13, 2006

Mine Are of Trouble
14 February ? 25 March 2006
Preview 14 February 6-8pm

Four is pleased to present Mine Are of Trouble an exhibition of a new video work by Declan Clarke. The work in question has been in production for the past two years, and follows on from a strain that Clarke has been developing in recent video works.

Focusing on the revolutionary life of the socialist Rosa Luxemburg, the work presents an account of Luxemburg's life from her birth in Poland to her murder in Berlin, in 1919. Clarke is particularly interested in the process of romanticisation and idealisation that can occur when a life is held up as exemplary. In particular, the compromising decisions made by others as they attempt to co-opt the actions or beliefs of another directly into their own lives. Clarke emphasises the potential failures that such a process can engender by contrasting Luxemburg's beliefs with his own encounters with her life and work, and furthermore his attempts to directly introduce these into his past romantic relationships. Not always with much success.

The failures of an individual in his personal life, and the failures of a remarkable political activist in her struggle to bring equality to a divided Europe are set against the backdrop of the history of a city. A place where monumental social upheaval, and inconsequential personal experience can both be elements of a larger narrative.

Filmed in Berlin, London, and Dublin over the past 20 months this is the first public exhibition of this work.

To coincide with FOUR's presentation of Mine Are of Trouble, Declan Clarke will be organising an event which will take place on the afternoon of February 16th weather permitting. The words " l HAVE DOUBTS", in seven foot high red letters, will be flown over the city centre for a two hour period. For more information contact FOUR on 086 365 1256, or the artist on 087 767 8653.

Declan Clarke has was educated in N.C.A.D. Dublin, and Chelsea College of Art London. In 2000 he was one of the recipients of the Saatchi Fellowship at Chelsea College of Art and Design. In 2002 he represented Ireland on the International Studio Programme at PS1 MOMA, New York. He has exhibited widely in Europe and America, and has a solo exhibition with Lantana Projects, Memphis later in 2006. He lives and works in London.