Afterimage:
Photography in the Digital Age
11 July – 23 August 2026
Alan Butler | Ailbhe NĂ Bhriain | Luke van Gelderen | Gregory Eddi Jones |
Maria Mavropoulou | Alan Phelan | Michael Schäfer | Linn Phyllis Seeger
Afterimage: Photography in the Digital Age brings together a selection of cutting-edge work by Irish and international artists exploring the material and conceptual transformations that have profoundly altered our sense of what a photograph is and can be.
Curated by Darren Campion, Photo Museum Ireland.
Digital technology has transformed how we encounter and understand photography. From the ubiquity of smartphone cameras and image-sharing apps to the reality-bending potential of AI, the ways in which a photographic image can be made and manipulated have increased exponentially.Â
The exhibition focuses on the creative possibilities of new technology and its application to photography as part of challenging hybrid practices that embrace a range of visual media. In a culture saturated with images and information, never offline, data has become a potent aesthetic resource for artists to draw on. From Ailbhe NĂ Bhriain’s haunting archival interventions, to the screen-based mediation of Linn Phyllis Seeger’s personal narratives, and Michael Schäfer’s large-scale digital montages, the works in Afterimage chart the multiple, diverse ways a photographic image can now exist.Â
Maria Mavropoulou, The Offering, from the series A Hollow Garden, 2021. Courtesy of the artist.
Michael Schäfer, Invasive Links 05, from the series Invasive Links. Courtesy of the artist.
They also suggest the extent to which these transformations are already implicit in the history of the medium. Photography has always been a promiscuous, unstable technology, slipping between different categories, uses, and modes of presentation. This instability has reached a crisis point with the advent of digital media, often radically disconnecting images from context and meaning. The featured artists work to make this break apparent in their use of divergent materials and sources, such as Alan Butler’s cyanotypes of video game flora, or Alan Phelan’s exploration of speculative possibilities in photographic history.Â
Given the power of images to shape our understanding of the world around us, influencing public perception and shared narratives, the questions that are prompted by the artists in Afterimage are increasingly urgent. At stake is how our collective sense of reality is determined and sometimes deformed by a constant flow of visual and photographic information. The material and conceptual play of the artists in this exhibition, fragmenting positions, identities and histories, reflects a moment when old certainties are collapsing, and we are obliged to confront the continually shifting values of our digital present.
Education & Engagement
Explore Afterimage: Photography in the Digital Age through a programme of free talks, tours, and inclusive events designed to deepen engagement with the exhibition’s themes of photography, digital culture, AI, image-making, and visual truth.
Join artists, curators, and invited guests for conversations exploring how technology is transforming the way photographs are made, shared, manipulated, and understood. Discover the exhibition through guided tours that open up the ideas behind the work, from smartphone culture and image saturation to archival intervention, digital montage, speculative histories, and the shifting role of photography in shaping reality.
For schools, educators, and independent learners, a free exhibition learning resource is available to support further exploration and discussion.
A Photo Museum Ireland National Tour, in partnership with The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, and Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, supported by an Arts Council Touring Award.
Events/Workshops
Exhibition Opening
Exhibition Opening for Afterimage: Photography in the Digital Age
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Thursday, 16 July 2026
Photo Museum Ireland
Join us at Photo Museum Ireland on Thursday 16th July 2026 to celebrate the official opening of AfterImage: Photography in the Digital Age.
Cost : For free. For Everyone.
Classes & Workshops
Sound Bath Experience in the Gallery
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Photo Museum Ireland
Experience an evening of deep relaxation and immersive sound in the unique surroundings of Photo Museum Ireland.
Cost : €20
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Saturday, 25 July 2026
Photo Museum Ireland
Join curator Darren Campion for a guided tour of Afterimage: Photography in the Digital Age, an exhibition exploring how digital technologies have transformed what a photograph is and what it can do. Bringing together Irish and international artists, the exhibition examines photography’s shifting relationship to truth, memory, and meaning in an increasingly image-saturated world. Through a range of contemporary practices, Afterimage considers how images are made, circulated, and understood today, inviting us to reflect on the role photography plays in shaping our perception of reality.
Cost : Free. Booking required.
12:00 am to
Sunday, 24 May 2026
Photo Museum Ireland
Experience Afterimage: Photography in the Digital Age through an inclusive and sensory-rich tour designed to support blind and visually impaired visitors.
This self-guided audio described tour offers detailed verbal descriptions of selected artworks, exploring composition, subject matter, tone, and context to bring each photograph to life.
Cost : Free for everyone
12:00 am to 1:00 pm
Friday, 22 May 2026
Photo Museum Ireland
A calm, supported way to experience Afterimage: Photography in the Digital Age.
These dedicated hours are designed for visitors with autism, sensory processing differences, or anyone who would benefit from a quieter, more relaxed gallery environment. During this time, lighting is softened, background noise is reduced, and visitor numbers are kept low—creating a more predictable and comfortable space to explore at your own pace.
Cost : Free for everyone
1:00 pm to
Wednesday, 3 June 2026
Photo Museum Ireland
Joining one of our guided tours is a great way to get to know our exhibitions in more detail. Our experienced guides are extremely knowledgeable about photography in general, and each exhibition in particular. Tours are free of charge, although booking is required.