Culture Shocked!: Launch of Exhibition Celebrating Cultural Diversity

CULTURE SHOCKED! is a compilation of fifty original comic-style illustrations celebrating cultural diversity. The artworks depict authentic testimonies of cultural misunderstandings with humour and are centred on the themes of language, dress, food, customs, gestures and UL culture.

The project is part of a series of events taking place on campus and in Limerick city as our institution marks its fiftieth anniversary. The opening reception took place on 23 March 2023, at the Bourne Vincent Gallery with music played by Dr Mathew Noone, Course Director of World Music, IWAMD, and artist Hilla Heikkinen aka Hilla Magia. Project Leader Dr Florence Le Baron-Earle, School of Modern Languages and Applied Linguistics, explained how the exhibition came together with the collaboration of UL staff, students, and the wider community who shared personal anecdotes. She said that “these examples of critical incidents can cause ‘cultural shock’, hence the title. We have all experienced this feeling of confusion to some degree while travelling abroad or when interacting with others. Now, thanks to CULTURE SHOCKED!, we can learn from these testimonies and be better prepared for future intercultural encounters.” Dr Florence Le Baron-Earle expressed her gratitude to “all the people who shared their stories. It was very heart-warming to receive such a good response to the call”. She also thanked the five illustrators - Julie Alquier, Megan Brophy, Edison Cai, Thomas Cunningham, and Lakeisha Lazo - the organising committee, Patricia Moriarty, UL Arts Officer, and Yvonne Davis, curator, for their work and commitment. Dr Anca Minescu, Assistant Dean International, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, officially launched the exhibition and congratulated everyone involved in bringing this intercultural project to fruition. She praised Dr Florence Le Baron-Earle and her team for their creative energy, seeing it as a true reflection of UL’s spirit. Dr Anca Minescu highlighted that, while the illustrations are fun, they also demonstrate academic rigour and can be used for workshops to raise cross-cultural awareness.

The art gallery will be visited by local schools in the coming weeks as part of an outreach initiative facilitated by the Access Office (Student Affairs Division). CULTURE SHOCKED! has been made possible with the financial support of UL Visual Arts (Corporate Secretary’s Office); University of Limerick Arts Office (Student Affairs Division); The School of Modern Languages and Applied Linguistics; the Arts, Humanities and Social Science Faculty Teaching Board; the ADI Internationalisation Fund; UL Global, and The Tell Your Own Story Project. The Culture Shocked! exhibition is open to the public at the Bourne Vincent Gallery, Concert Hall, University of Limerick, until 30 June 2023.