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Exit the bustling streets of Temple Bar and enter the yellow dreamscape that is Rhona Byrne’s Huddle Tests. Using the intimate space of the Temple Bar Gallery, Byrne has initiated a unique social experiment, which aims to explore group dynamics and interpersonal relations.

Visitors are asked to discard their shoes at the entrance and leave their inhibitions at the door, before moving throughout the brightly coloured space. Byrne uses a combination of sculpture, installation and drawing in the exhibition, yet her “Huddlewear” collection undoubtedly forms the centerpiece of the show. A variety of hooded capes and peaked hats line the walls, waiting to be worn by the curious visitors. The clothes are designed to be worn by numerous people at once, with designs ranging from two-person garments to those that fit five or six people.

Intrigued observers from the outside world gather at the window, attempting to distinguish what exactly is going on within the sunny adult playground. Strangers align with one another in order to dress up in Byrne’s bizarre collection of clothing, doing away with the boundaries of personal space. With the image of clusters of people hobbling about in Huddlewear, Rhona Byrne reduces the notion of social relations to its most primitive, symbolic form.

This stark symbolism could easily be mistaken for a naïve interpretation of the mechanisms of social psychology. However, it is difficult to say whether or not this naivety was one of Byrne’s goals in the creation of Huddle Tests. Indeed, it recalls a basic human need, that is, to feel a sense of belonging and to identify with others. In comparison to other, more traditional exhibition experiences, Rhona Byrne’s unique show relies almost completely on the interaction of the visitor. While it may appear somewhat rudimentary at first, Huddle Tests is both a provocative and entertaining way to explore human relations.

 

Huddle Tests runs until November 7th at Temple Bar Gallery.