Changing States: 
Ireland in the 21st Century

Contemporary photography from Ireland

06 June 2024 – 11 August 2024
Haus am Kleistpark,
Berlin, Germany

Presented by Photo Museum Ireland, IKS Photo, Düsseldorf, and Haus am Kleistpark, as part of Zeitgeist 24, an initiative by Culture Ireland and the Irish Embassy in Germany, in media partnership with ARTE.

Changing States: Ireland in the 21st Century is the largest group exhibition of Irish photography presented outside Ireland to date. Focusing on the first decades of the 21st century, coinciding with the centenary of the founding of the Irish state, it shows the depth and breadth of contemporary photography in Ireland.

Changing States presents works by artists who have responded to pressing issues around Irish identity and the politics of place. Rather than being a general survey of Irish photography, the exhibition has been curated to reflect how Irish artists have responded to and critically reframed the recent profound shifts that have occurred in Irish society - surveying Ireland’s transformation from an insular nation-state to a more liberal, globalised and multicultural society. 

Featuring works by 34 contemporary artists, the exhibition and catalogue present three key themes: Political Landscapes, Notions of Home, and Changing Identities. Encompassing diverse vantage points of the medium, ranging from documentary photography to more socially engaged and conceptual approaches, the exhibition considers how leading artists working in Ireland have addressed major socio-political developments to reflect on changing demographics, cultural identities, contested territories and social reform.

The works by the featured artists respond to different aspects of these changes, tracing the many ways our past continues to shape the present. The selected works showcase the depth, breadth and vitality of contemporary photography in Ireland. The presentation of this exhibition reflects the partners’ commitment to preserving space for open conversations and debate in cultural institutions.

Participating artists: Ciarán Óg Arnold, Audrey Blue, Enda Bowe, Noel Bowler, Simon Burch, Ala Buisir, Martin Cregg, Eamonn Doyle, Ciarán Dunbar, John Duncan, Robert Ellis, David Farrell, Anthony Haughey, Conor Horgan, Shane Hynan, Bernadette Keating, Jamin Keogh, Shane Lynam, Martin McGagh, Yvette Monahan, Trish Morrissey, Seamus Murphy, Brian Newman, Jackie Nickerson, Kenneth O’Halloran, Shannon Ritchie, Pauline Rowan, Paul Seawright, Niamh Smith, Daragh Soden, Amelia Stein, Lorraine Tuck, Tommy Weir, and Donovan Wylie.

Changing States: Ireland in the 21st Century - installation views by Ralph Goertz.

A number of artists withdrew their work from the exhibition. Read our statement on this below:

About the partner organisations:

IKS PHOTO
The IKS - Institute for Art Documentation was founded in 2009 by Ralph Goertz and today contains the largest private media archive of contemporary art in Europe with almost 500 documented artists and 92 documentary films. In 2022, the IKS was expanded to include its own photo institute, the non-profit recognized IKS PHOTO. The aim of the IKS PHOTO is to promote, preserve and convey the medium of photography through exhibitions and publications. In addition to retrospective exhibitions of the work of important photographers, thematic group exhibitions will be developed and presented as touring exhibitions by European partner institutions. In close cooperation with the exhibiting institutions, the exhibitions will be adapted and expanded to meet individual and local needs. The work of IKS PHOTO focuses on artistic and art historical significance as well as social and societal relevance.
For more information visit: www.iks-medienarchiv.de

Haus am Kleistpark
Haus am Kleistpark is one of the largest and longest-running municipal art galleries in Berlin and is affiliated with two further sites: the Haus am Kleistpark | Projektraum and the Galerie im Tempelhof Museum. As non-commercial contemporary art spaces, municipal galleries stand for cosmopolitanism, experimentation, and artistic discoveries at a high level. Here, local reference and intercultural exchange coalesce with the inclusion of global contexts. As municipal galleries they are tasked with the cultural development of their respective districts, the promotion of artists, grassroots work within the art sector, and continuing support for the exploration of current issues of importance. Special emphasis is on the promotion of artistic photography. Since 2011 the director of the Haus am Kleistpark has been Barbara Esch Marowski.
For more information visit: www.hausamkleistpark.de/en

Zeitgeist Irland 24 is an initiative from Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland to promote Contemporary Irish Arts and Culture in Germany in 2024.

Supported by ARTE

Banner image: Shane Hynan, Tony’s Footings, No. 27-17, 2018, from the series Beneath | Beofhód (2018-2024)