Nail bar Tropical Popical joins forces with National Gallery for Renailssance display
Nail bar Tropical Popical and the National Gallery of Ireland recently launched Renailssance, a display celebrating a year-long creative partnership that saw the salon responding to both the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions at the gallery.
Based in South William St in Dublin and known for its funky aesthetic, Tropical Popical was founded by Andrea Horan and her sister Michelle. It hit the headlines in 2016 when regular customer Saoirse Ronan got news of her Golden Globe nomination while in there.
The display sees the Millennium Wing Studio transformed into a tropical paradise, featuring an Irish fashion showcase from stylist and creative director Aisling Farinella and fashion photographer Eilish McCormick; detailed images of the multiple artistic responses; mixed media installations; real nail art; and more.
The seeds for this collaboration began in 2017, when the gallery's education team connected with Tropical Popical on the internationally renowned exhibition Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry. The result was Dutch Golden Details, a contemporary response to the 17th century masterpieces, which created wearable art, provoked dialogue around high and low art forms, and connected new audiences with both the gallery and the nail bar.
The relationship bloomed and in June 2018 a year-long creative partnership was announced. The partnership was designed to make collections and exhibitions more accessible, for historic artworks to provide rich inspiration for new creative practices, and to continue the conversation on culture, critique, aesthetics and taste.
A full public programme of activities and events to support. Renailssance has been devised for all ages and abilities, including live fine art printing and wearable art creation by dynamic design duo Jill & Gill; nail art classes for kids and adults; and talks, tours and workshops. For the duration of the display, which continues until 12 September, the Tropical Popical team will work live in the studio, on selected days, doing what they do best: utilising the smallest of canvases to bring art to everyone’s fingertips.
Renailssance and the accompanying public programme are co-curated by Tropical Popical CEO Andrea Horan and Sinéad Rice, head of education, National Gallery of Ireland.
