October 29th - November 2nd 2025, 11am-6pm
Joseph Wales Studios
Taken from the stage play, Amadeus, the full quote: 'Goodness is nothing in the furnace of art.', is said by the bitter rival of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Salieri. He committed his chastity to God in exchange for musical prowess, only to see the promiscuous and immoral Mozart create artistic perfection.
Programmed 'goodnesses' within cultural capital, identity, romance and religion lead to blind spots and in-authenticities. Goodness is Nothing challenges them by showcasing the messy authenticity found in unravelling 'goodness' from authentic experience communicated in the body.
GOODNESS IS NOTHING
GARY’S ECONOMIX
Based on a photograph from a documentary photographer in Dublin, the title of this work references Gary Stevenson — YouTuber, writer, and finance commentator known for his call to tax the ultra-rich. His working-class background grounds his message, but his growing popularity risks casting him in the role of hero. The mounted figure recalls images of power from Greco-Roman statues to David’s Napoleon Crossing the Alps. As with those precedents, the pose carries a risky undertone: triumph framed as saviourhood or a rebellion made in vain against an eternally established elite.