Jim Ricks is an American–born Irish conceptual artist, writer, and curator. He has exhibited throughout Ireland and internationally, including a number of public art projects.[1][2]
Ricks's work utilises appropriation, institutional critique, politics, and humour.[3][11] He has had solo shows in the United States, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Mexico.[12]
In an ongoing body of work, "Jim Ricks has developed the method of synchro-materialism as a means to consider the territory where art meets capitalism", and he has used this methodology in exhibition, performance, and print since 2010.[16][17] In 2015 he travelled to Afghanistan to make Carpet Bombing, a large traditionally made carpet featuring imagery of military drones – an updated version of Afghan's war rugs.[18][19] He participated in the 2017 Ghetto Biennale, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.[20]
"We need to start thinking more creatively about public art. Jim Ricks has. Poulnabrone Bouncy Dolmen... is a commentary on our past, our present, the concept of “brand Ireland” and the very idea of public art; and everyone is invited to bounce. A temporary, movable, witty, interactive, contemporary public artwork we are all invited to play with? [Alice] Maher has endorsed it as “the best public art piece...ever”. She might just be right."[24]
Ricks is working on the long-term, global public art project In Search of the Truth (or En Busca de la Verdad ). It is a collaboration with Ryan Alexiev, Hank Willis Thomas .[27][28][29]The New York Times writes: "The “Truth Booth,” a roving, inflatable creation, in the shape of a cartoon word bubble with "TRUTH" in bold letters on its side, serves as a video confessional. Visitors are asked to sit inside and finish the politically and metaphysically loaded sentence that begins, "The truth is …"".[30] The project has travelled Ireland, Afghanistan, South Africa, Australia, the United States, and Mexico,[31][32] recording and then exhibiting the thoughts of many people on the subject of truth in several countries.[33][34][35]
Sesiones Publicas, San Agustín, La Lisa, Cuba, a LASA project, August 2017.[37]
Museum projects
Ricks was involved in a 2 year project, Sleepwalkers (2012–15), at the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin. Six artists were invited to an "unusual experiment in exhibition production".[38] Ricks's contributions included an unauthorised exhibition, a curated open call (Future Perfect),[39] a solo show (Bubblewrap Game: Hugh Lane),[40] and closing event and performances.[41]Aidan Dunne of the Irish Times describes Ricks's offerings as a "curatorial process of selection and validation, making a museum within the museum comprising works from the real collection, artworks borrowed from elsewhere, non-art objects from flea markets and a commissioned copy of an Ed Ruscha painting."[11] During the programme, he also included the works by Richard Hamilton (artist), James Barry, Jeremy Deller, Gerard Dillon, Robert Ballagh, Raphael Zarka, and James Hanley.[42][43]
Ricks was part of Age of Terror: Art since 9/11 at the Imperial war Museum, London, 2018–19.[44]
He exhibited work made in Afghanistan with Ryan Alexiev, Hank Willis Thomas, and Najeebullah Najeeb at the Trotsky Museum in Mexico City in 2022.[45]
