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For Immediate Release

Morse Code - Alive and Kicking!

Dublin, 19 November 2004

Dead but not buried! Morse code comes alive again in enCODEd, a multimedia exhibition by visual artist Brian Fay and composer Donal Siggins.

From the Titanic to the capture of Doctor Crippen, Morse code holds an enduring place in the public imagination and a great significance to this island nation. EnCODEd, consisting of large-scale drawings and a sound installation, enables Morse code to be seen and heard once again and this time in a whole new way.

EnCODEd opens in the Context Gallery, Derry, on 11 December 2004, with a preview at 8.00pm, and runs until 8 January 2005. The exhibition then travels to the Project Arts Centre, Dublin, where it will open on 21 February running until 26 February 2005.

EnCODEd originated out of a call for collaborative projects in 2002 by the Context Gallery, Derry and the Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland (CMC).

"It is an exciting new departure for the Contemporary Music Centre to engage in interdisciplinary work in such a direct way," says Karen Hennessy, Promotion Manager, CMC. "It has been a pleasure to work with the Context Gallery on this sound and vision project and we look forward to future collaborations of this kind."

Morse code was originally developed in 1844 by the American fine art painter Samuel F. B. Morse and in February 1999 was officially declared a dead language.

Notes for editors
Donal Siggins was born in Dublin and is a musician and composer. He studied music at UCC and music and media technologies at TCD. His work in digital music has seen a particular interest in algorithmic and realtime computer composition. The present work represents his first exploration into the area of multichannel sound spatialisation.

Brian Fay is an artist and lecturer in fine art at the Dublin Institute of Technology. To date Fay has worked in a variety of disciplines including drawing, installation and digital video. His work has recently been included in COE 2004 (Claremorris Open Exhibition); Perspective, Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast (2003); Haunted, Civil Arts Inquiry, City Arts Centre, Dublin (2003); US Live, Guinness Storehouse, Dublin (2003); 6x6 for Ireland, 411 Gallery and Eastlink Gallery, China (2003). He is currently exhibiting in the Drawing the Line exhibition at The Orleans House Gallery in London.

For further information please contact Karen Hennessy, Promotion Manager, The Contemporary Music Centre, 19 Fishamble Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 8. Tel: 01 - 673 1922 email: khennessy@cmc.ie website: www.cmc.ie