In Our Own Image

Our exhibition space is currently closed as we are installing our next exhibition -

In Our Own Image: Photography in Ireland, 1839 to the Present.

We are delighted to present this exhibition over two galleries! Curated by Gallery of Photography Ireland and the Office of Public Works, Dublin Castle.

In Our Own Image presents the first comprehensive historical and critical survey of photography from across the island of Ireland. This landmark centenary exhibition charts how the medium has both reflected and shaped Irish cultural identity, from the work of the earliest photographic pioneers up to the emergence of a recognisably modern state. Throughout the period of intense change that characterised Ireland in the late 19th and into the mid-20th century, we see how photography served as a mirror for shifting experiences of what it meant to be Irish. More than that, it also defined the way we saw ourselves, creating an image of life on the island of Ireland that still forms part of our identity today.

In Our Own Image reveals the depth of our shared photographic heritage, viewed through important works by key photographers held in leading archives, cultural institutions, museums, and private collections.

- It charts the contribution of early photographic pioneers such as Augusta Dillon, Mary Rosse, and the Tenisons. Photography’s role as eyewitness to history is explored through the work of Robert French, William Lawrence, A.R. Hogg and others. 

- Photographs of life in the west of Ireland by J.M. Synge and surveys of heritage sites by Robert Welch and Jane Shackleton highlight the contribution of photography to the Celtic Revival movement.

- Photography’s role in constructing popular representations of Irishness is outlined through the production of romantic images to feed the new tourist market. 

- The use of photography as reportage during the War of Independence and the Irish Civil War contrasts official viewpoints with the more nuanced perspectives of commercial and citizen photographers. 

- The concluding section presents an overview of the key social and infrastructural developments that defined the emergence of the modern Irish state framed through the vision of creative Irish photographers.

In Our Own Image: Photography in Ireland, 1839 to the Present is the first in a series of exhibitions that will serve to establish the canon of photography in Ireland, from the earliest pioneering works through to a survey of contemporary photography by Ireland’s many acclaimed photographic artists. 

Supported by Dublin City Council Commemorative Committee, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Heritage Council of Ireland, Office of Public Works, Dublin Castle, RTÉ Supporting the Arts and Nerve Centre/ Creative Centenaries NI. Presented by Gallery of Photography Ireland and the Office of Public Works, Dublin Castle, in partnership with the National Library of Ireland, the National Museum of Ireland, National Museums NI, the National Archives, PRONI, RTÉ Archives, UCD Archives, Irish Folklore Commission, University College Cork, Creative Ireland and the Arts Council of Ireland. 

Exhibition Dates

We are delighted to present this exhibition over two galleries!

Opens 29 November 2021 in the Gallery of Photography Ireland.

On show at The Printworks, Dublin Castle         

29 November 2021 – 6 February 2022

Masks and social distancing please, no booking required.

Gallery information

OPENING HOURS

Wednesday - Saturday 11am - 5.45pm

DUBLIN CASTLE OPENING HOURS

Monday - Sunday 11am - 5.45pm

ADMISSION IS FREE

In Our Own Image: Photography in Ireland, 1839 to the Present has been made possible by contributions from: the Estate of Fergus Bourke; Irish Jesuit Archive/Fr. Francis Browne SJ Collection; Clare County Library; Davison and Associates; the estate of Dennis Dineen; the estate of Bill Doyle; ESB Archives; Arthur Fields: Man on Bridge; J. Paul Getty Museum; the Estate of Helen Hooker O’Malley; John Hinde Collection; Alen MacWeeney; Magnum Photos; New York Public Library; Parsons Family, Birr Castle; Photo Album of the Irish; Queen’s University, Belfast; Royal Collection Trust, Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland; Sean Sexton Collection; the Estate of Jane W. Shackleton; Tipperary Museum of Hidden History; Trinity College, Dublin; Waterford City and County Archives.

Curated by Gallery of Photography Ireland with the Office of Public Works, Dublin Castle.

Gallery of Photography Ireland would like to thank Dr. Myles Campbell, Research and Interpretation Officer (Curator) for the Office of Public Works at Dublin Castle and Mary Heffernan, General Manager at Office of Public Works, Historic Properties, Heritage Services and Head of Collections.

Gallery of Photography Ireland is a registered charity funded by The Arts Council, Dublin City Council and by a lot of great people who love photography.  

Graduate Development Awards 2021 Winners

Gallery of Photography Ireland is delighted to announce that the Graduate Development Award Winners for 2021 are:

Leon Nevill Gallagher (Institute of Art & Design, Dun Laoghaire)

Jordan Hearns (TU Dublin)

Rachel McClure (University of Ulster) 

These equal Awards will support the winners in making new work in the crucial first year of their professional creative lives. The proposals we received from the graduates nominated by Belfast School of Art, Griffith College Dublin, Limerick School of Art, IADT and TU Dublin were most impressive. They are a testament to the incredible talent emerging from photography degree programmes on the island of Ireland. 

The three winners demonstrated the creative potential and level of development we had been looking for. We are very pleased to be working with them over the coming months to help realise their projects.

Each of the winners will receive:

• Mentorship and Curatorial support: Feedback and professional development resources for their new work from gallery curators, alongside guest mentors Agata Stoinska and Monika Chmielarz from D-Light Studios/ Blow Photo.

• Production support: One-to-one sessions for image preparation and portfolio printing in our Artist’s Digital Studio, a darkroom masterclass in our fully serviced Darkroom.

• Critical writing skills: A one-to-one workshop to assist the winners in writing about their work.

• A deluxe portfolio set of prints with accompanying text and digital assets.

Gallery of Photography Ireland is delighted to help continue the growth of a new creative generation in Irish photography. Our hope is that these Awards will empower the recipients in developing sustainable individual practices, making a significant contribution to the future of photography in Ireland.

Leon Nevill Gallagher (Institute of Art & Design, Dun Laoghaire)

In his work, Leon is interested in people, their interactions and how society’s gravitational pull informs a wider sociological response. The act of ‘documentary’ is at the core of his work and the practice consists of three parts: it is born from lived experience, formal intervention, and experimental print techniques as a means to interrogate the increasing liminality of our presence. To date his work has been exhibited in The Copper house gallery, IE (2019), The Library Project group publication, IE (2020) and Noorderlicht photo festival, NL (2020 & 2021).

Jordan Hearns (TU Dublin)

Jordan Hearns is a socially engaged Irish artist. His practice explores the significance of spaces as vessels for individualism and expression, explored within the contexts of time, memory and ephemerality. His photographic works document transient street flowers, short-lived clubbing spaces and underground clubbing/queer communities. In his most recent work Jordan combines mixed media, moving image and audio curation, as well as a series of editioned artist’s publications.

Rachel McClure (University of Ulster) 

Rachel McClure is a visual artist based in Northern Ireland. A Graduate of the Belfast School of Art, Ulster University, Rachel obtained her Bachelor (Hons) Degree in Photography with Video. Her work is driven by her curiosity about spirituality and her connection within the natural world. There is a drive in her practice to take the intangible and make it tactile, embedding the ethereal into material. Rachel follows her intuition and allows the medium to help her feel a deeper connection with the world within, and around her. This practice becomes a source of healing and understanding, image by image, a form of grounding.

With thanks to Ann Curran (TU Dublin), Martin Healy & Adrian Reilly (IADT), Clare Gallagher (University of Ulster), Sinead Murphy (Griffith College) and Lorraine Neeson (LSAD) for their assistance with nominations. Sincere thanks also to our guest mentors Agata Stoinska and Monika Chmielarz.

Ivor Prickett - In Conversation with Darren Campion

Wednesday 6th October 7.00pm, places limited, booking essential, free admission.

Schedule Appointment

As part of our programme for Prix Pictet: Hope, Gallery of Photography Ireland is hosting an exclusive in-conversation event with photographer Ivor Prickett, a rising star in photojournalism and one of two Irish nominees in the 2019 Prix Pictet cycle.

Click image to purchase End of the Caliphate by Ivor Prickett

Ivor’s book End of the Caliphate, published by Steidl, is the result of months spent on the ground in Iraq and Syria between 2016 and 2018 photographing the battle to defeat ISIS. Working exclusively for the New York Times, he was often embedded with Iraqi and Syrian Kurdish forces as he documented both the fighting and its toll on the civilian population and urban landscape.

For this event Ivor will discuss the development of the project, his career and extensive experience as a photojournalist, what it was like to work with the renowned German publisher Gerhard Steidl on the book, and his nomination for the Prix Pictet.

Ivor’s work in Iraq and Syria has earned him multiple World Press Photo Awards and in 2018 he was named as a Pulitzer finalist. Based in Middle East since 2009, he documented the 'Arab Spring' uprisings in Egypt and Libya, working simultaneously on editorial assignments and his own long term projects. Ivor’s work has been recognised through a number of prestigious awards including The World Press Photo, The Pulitzer Prizes, The Overseas Press Club Awards, Pictures of the Year International, Foam Talent, The Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize and The Ian Parry Scholarship.

Booking for this event will be through our website, places are limited due to Covid-19 restrictions.

We will also be streaming live to our YouTube channel from the gallery.

Ivor’s book The End of the Caliphate, published by Steidl is available from our online bookshop here & in the Gallery priced €45.

About the Prix Pictet:
The Prix Pictet aims to harness the power of photography – all genres of photography – to draw global attention to issues of sustainability, especially those concerning the environment.

Founded in 2008 by the Pictet Group, the Prix Pictet has become the world’s leading award for photography and sustainability. To date, there have been eight cycles of the award each of which has highlighted a particular facet of sustainability. The nine themes are Water, Earth, Growth, Power, Consumption, Disorder, Space, Hope and Fire.

Entry to the award is strictly by nomination. The network of nominators worldwide (currently numbering 300) have, over the course of the eight cycles, nominated 4,700 artists for the award. Taken together the nominated works present a powerful testament to the fragile state of our planet.

Gallery of Photography Ireland are hiring, Post Title: Digital Imaging Archivist & Coordinator.

Post Title: Digital Imaging Archivist & Coordinator.
Duration: 3-month Specific Purpose Contract, immediate start.
Salary/Fee: €6,000
Closing date for applications: 1st October 2021.

Post summary:
Gallery of Photography Ireland (GPI) are seeking to recruit a Digital Archivist who will be responsible for digital image restoration, repair and enhancement, scanning, adding metadata, file management and cataloguing as an integral part of developing our ‘In Our Own Image, history of photography in Ireland’ programme. This is the first major survey of the history of photography in Ireland. The successful candidate will work closely with the programme team supporting the digital archiving, post-production and file management and supporting our curatorial, engagement and communications team in the development and delivery of digital assets.

About us:
Gallery of Photography Ireland is a registered charity RCN 20206237. As the national centre for photography in Ireland we are dedicated to fostering a dynamic photographic culture. Our free exhibitions showcase the best of contemporary Irish and international photography, nurture artistic talent, and encourage discussion. Our in-house, outreach and online channels deepen opportunities for diverse audiences to engage with photography.

Job description:
Work with the team to implement the workflow for digitising photographic prints, negatives and ephemera.
Work with the relevant GPI partners to ensure compliance with existing archival practices, policies and guidelines.
Process image files, input metadata and prepare content for design outputs.
Liaise with designated GPI staff on associated research activities.
Assist with online operations and communications.
Assist with project administrative duties, liaising with organisations, artists, etc.
Any other duties required for the successful completion of the project.

Essential Skills:
Degree or equivalent experience working on digital imaging /archiving.
Demonstrated knowledge of scanning technologies, digital imaging software, batch processing, and file-naming conventions.
Evidence of ability to work on own initiative within a team environment.
Experience in preparing files for print and exhibition inc. digital repair and optimisation.
Computer skills in Photoshop, LightRoom, InDesign.
Excellent English, interpersonal and organisational skills.
Motivated, organised, reliable, with a pro-active and positive problem-solving attitude.
Passion for and knowledge of the Arts, specifically Photography.
Names and telephone contact details of two referees.

Desirable Skills:
Graduate qualification in photographic or archival studies.
Knowledge of digital preservation standards, best practices.
Knowledge/experience of Irish visual culture and design.
Familiarity with WordPress & social media.
Demonstrated research skills.

APPLY: dan@galleryofphotography.ie

The Irish Times Journalist Simon Carswell visits HOPE

Click image to read the full article in The Irish Times.

HOPE - Prix Pictet now open Wednesday - Saturday

Group tours available, please email for more details

Gallery of Photography Ireland is delighted to be hosting the eighth cycle of the Prix Pictet, which this year takes the theme of Hope. It is a particularly significant theme for a world now slowly emerging from the shadow of a devastating pandemic and facing equally formidable challenges in the years ahead. 

The Prix Pictet is the world’s leading prize for photography and sustainability. Its purpose is to harness the power of photography to draw global attention to critical sustainability issues that threaten humanity and the planet that we share with the rest of the natural world. We are especially pleased to have two Irish photographers nominated for such a prestigious award. 

The nominees featured in this exhibition are:

Shahidul Alam (BGD), Joana Choumali (CIV), Margaret Courtney-Clarke (NAM), Rena Effendi (AZ), Lucas Foglia (US), Janelle Lynch (US), Ross McDonnell (IRL), Gideon Mendel (SA), Ivor Prickett (IRL), Robin Rhode (SA), Awoiska van der Molen (NL) and Alexia Webster (SA).

Exhibition dates

September 17th - November 6th 2021

Masks and social distancing please, no booking required.

Gallery information

OPENING HOURS

Wednesday - Saturday 11am - 5.45pm

Please note, while waiting for essential maintenance to be completed, our lift is out of service, this does affect access to our exhibition space.

Sunday & Monday closed, Tuesday by appointment, please email.

Closed for bank holidays and public holidays

ADMISSION IS FREE 

Martin Parr and Fintan O’Toole, in conversation

Dear friends,

We are delighted to invite you to an informal conversation between international photographer Martin Parr and renowned Irish writer Fintan O’Toole. They will discuss Parr's Irish photographic work, which is on display at Gallery of Photography Ireland until September 4th.

Please join us Tuesday 24th, August at 7.30pm (on zoom, link above), during the last week of Martin Parr's hugely popular exhibition and tour; Parr’s Ireland: 40 Years of Photography Martin Parr.

"Martin Parr's work traces a line through the decades as Irish Society gradually shifted from conformism. It also captures many things that never went away" Fintan O'Toole, Irish Times 2020

Martin Parr’s Ireland Exhibition tour: 

The exhibition and tour have been organised by Tracy Marshall-Grant for Northern Narratives, in collaboration with the Martin Parr Foundation and exhibiting partners. After its Dublin showing, the exhibition will tour to the Roscommon Arts Centre and then travel to Boston College’s McMullen Museum of Art before returning to Belfast Exposed Gallery in Summer 2022. The photographs then complete their tour in November at Paris Photo 2022 exhibiting in the Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris as part of the Centre’s 20th anniversary celebrations alongside work by photography alumni of Belfast School of Art at Ulster University, where Martin Parr is a visiting Professor.  

Special thanks to Tracy Marshall-Grant, Martin Parr and Fintan O'Toole

Galleries Without Walls Open Call

Gallery of Photography Ireland is delighted to announce new opportunities for practising photographers. Galleries Without Walls is an exciting collaborative programme that brings together photographers and composers to create audio-visual digital artworks. Three photographers will be selected from an Open Call by an international expert panel, and a further three will be invited. The artists will then undertake an experimental collaboration with specially selected composers.

The purpose of this initiative is to facilitate connections between different creative fields, allowing artists to experiment with innovative new formats for presenting their work. We are calling the programme Galleries Without Walls because we want to break down the barriers that divide creative disciplines and artists from their audiences. We believe the gallery space can be an open, inclusive one, just as the creative process can make space for unexpected connections. The Galleries Without Walls programme is about facilitating that journey of discovery, thinking about how art and its making can be shared in new ways.

The finished work will be exhibited online and also in a physical gallery installation. Artists and composers will be paid a fee and supported in the creation and promotion of their work. The costs of minting and marketing an NFT are also covered.

Open Call

We are inviting photographers to submit 10 - 25 images from a project, and a brief statement that describes the work they would like to be considered. The submitted images should represent a coherent body of work that is either a previously completed project, or a work-in-progress close to completion. From the submissions, we will select three artists to take part in the Galleries Without Walls programme.

Benefits

• The opportunity to collaborate with a specially selected composer in the creation of a new audiovisual digital artwork

• An exhibition of the audiovisual artwork in a physical installation at RCC Letterkenny; as an outdoor projection event at Gallery of Photography Ireland, and online on the Museum of Crypto Art’s curated Somnium Space.

• An artist’s fee of €1000. 

• Guidance from experts in crypto art.

• Support in video and sound editing of the collaborative artwork

• The audiovisual digital artwork will be minted and made available for sale as an NFT at no cost to the artists.  All proceeds go to the collaborating artists.

Submissions close: 31 August, 2021

The selection panel for the Galleries Without Walls Open Call includes:

Colborn Bell, Co-founder Museum of Crypto Art

Charles Damga, Director of Creator Relations Foundation

Sven Eisenhut, Director Photo Basel

Ben Fuglister, Director CAP Prize  and Curator

Jeremy Howard, Curator, RCC, Donegal, Ireland

Niall Kerr, Project Manager, Nerve Centre, Derry~Londonderry

Tanya Kiang, Co-director and curator at the Gallery of Photography Ireland

Trish Lambe, Co-director and curator at the Gallery of Photography Ireland

Shivani Mitra, Curator Museum of Crypto Art

Michael Weir, Director Belfast Photo Festival and Curator

Timeline

Selected artists will be contacted mid-September.  The artists will take part in a structured design sprint to work with the gallery team to map out a first cut of the audiovisual digital artwork. NFT and digital art experts will be available during the sprint to answer questions and review the first cut artwork.

The artists will have five weeks to produce the final audiovisual digital art work. Video editing support will be provided. Given this timescale, the Open Call is for photographic artists to propose existing, completed bodies of work, or projects very near to completion. Proposing new, as yet unrealised photographic projects is not appropriate in this instance.

The final works will be exhibited in a physical gallery installation in the main space of the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, Ireland. They will also be presented in an outdoor projection event at Gallery of Photography Ireland, and in the Museum of Crypto Art’s Somnium Space.

The exhibitions will open in October. NFT will be made available for sale from December. We will document the process using video, photographs, and blog posts. These resources will be used to promote the artist and their work; and for education purposes on our partners’ websites.

The Organizers of The Galleries Without Walls Awards are:

Gallery of Photography Ireland

Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny

Nerve Centre, Derry~Londonderry

The programme is also supported by: 

The Arts Council

Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media (Cooperation with Northern Ireland Funding Scheme

The Museum of Crypto Art Foundation

Illustrated History of Photography in Ireland since 1839 talk with William Fagan. Presented as part of our 'In Our Own Image' landmark season surveying the history of photography in Ireland

Save the date:
Illustrated History of Photography in Ireland since 1839 talk with William Fagan.
This event is organised as a part of our landmark 'In Our Own Image' history of photography in Ireland season. This landmark programme of talks, exhibitions, public art installations and online programmes. Curating in partnership with leading cultural institutions, this first major comprehensive survey of photography in Ireland, which will formally launch in November 2021.

The Death of Chatterton (stereocard) by James Robinson (Courtesy Collection Dr Brian May)

Dear friends,
You are all invited to this free illustrated talk during National Heritage Week 2021 at Gallery of Photography Ireland's online lecture hall. (zoom/youtube live)

Date/Time: Aug 17 at 7:30PM Dublin,2021

You can view the recorded live stream on our YouTube channel - linked below.

Talk details:
William Fagan's illustrated talk celebrates the ongoing development of a new, interactive timeline of the history of photography in Ireland. He will share some of the key images in Ireland's photo history and explore the stories behind them. Considering photography both as an art and a science, he will look at who took photographs and why they took them and how photography was used for good and otherwise, including some early examples of fake news. He will also look at how photography has impacted on our visual knowledge and culture and will end at the present where everyone is now a photographer of some kind.

About the speaker:
William Fagan is Ireland's former Director of Consumer Affairs. He developed an interest in photography over many years, but, as he wryly comments, he had to wait until retirement to fully engage with it! He is a member of the Board of Directors of Gallery of Photography Ireland. He has written over 40 articles on photography, both inside and outside of Ireland. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the of the International Leica Society and is also a member of the Dublin Camera Club, The Leica Society (UK) & the Photographic Collectors Club of Great Britain. His recent discovery of a 70-year old roll of film and his subsequent detective work concerning the mysteries of the photos he developed from it was featured in international news media worldwide.

Colour photograph by John Joly (Courtesy RDS Library)

This event is organised as a part of our 'In Our Own Image' season surveying the history of photography in Ireland, supported by The Heritage Council, The Arts Council Ireland & Dublin City Council. The Photo Album of the Irish digital archive project is supported by the Emigrant Support Programme, Department of Foreign Affairs.

Our r 'In Our Own Image' programme highlights the important role played by key cultural institutions and important figures such as Eddie Chandler and others in preserving and sharing our photographic heritage. A series of free exhibitions in sites across Dublin survey the history of photography practices; from works by pioneering practitioners to today’s vibrant, contemporary photography scene. It includes images of Ireland by international masters of photography, reveals overlooked photographic works and showcases emerging talents.

The programme also presents the first exhibition of the new National Photography collection. This collection builds on our work over 40+ years in supporting and nurturing Irish artists and sharing their work with audiences.

Winetavern Street fashion shoot by Colman Doyle (Courtesy National Library of Ireland)

National Heritage Week, an initiative by the Heritage Council, celebrates all things heritage. It brings together communities, families, organisations, cultural institutions, academics and enthusiasts, to build awareness about the value of heritage and support its conservation.

National Heritage Week is supported by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and run in association with Fáilte Ireland. At county level, National Heritage Week is co-ordinated and supported by Local Authority Heritage Officers, their colleagues and with numerous local heritage groups and organisations. Collaborative partners include the Office of Public Works; the Local Authority Waters Programme; and the Irish Landmark Trust. Supporting partners include RTÉ Supporting the Arts and The Irish Times.

National Heritage Week is co-ordinated by the Heritage Council as part of European Heritage Days – a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union in which more than 50 countries participate each year. #HeritageWeek2021

Fótó na nÓg | Young Photographers Awards Instagram Competition

Instagram Competition Workshop

Fótó na nÓg | Young Photographers Awards Competition Workshop

The Gallery of Photography Ireland is asking young photographers across the island of Ireland to share their creative vision through an exciting new photography competition, the Fótó na nÓg Young Photographers Awards Programme.

All you need to take part is a smartphone and an Instagram account. Instagram Competition Gallery of Photography Ireland is running a competition to encourage young photographic talent. We want you to show us what life is like for young people in Ireland right now - this is a window on your world. The competition is open to anyone aged between 13 and 18 years old. Use the assignment themes to help get you started, and feel free to enter as many times as you like.

To take part you need to:

SEND your images via direct message to @gallery_of_photography_ireland & POST your entries on Instagram with the hashtag #fotonanog

The competition is open until midnight on Sunday, May 30th.

Meet the Judges of the Fótó na nÓg Young Photographers Awards Programme

#fotonanog

Meet the Judges of the Fótó na nÓg Young Photographers Awards Programme, from left to right:

Tobi Isaac-Irein - Born in Ibadan, Nigeria, Tobi came to Dublin when he was six years old. He has worked in film production and also with many music labels. His artwork has been published in magazine and online media platform Slight Motif.

Ciara Li - Currently Gallery of Photography Ireland’s Youth Ambassador, Ciara is a 5th Year student at Holy Faith Clontarf in Dublin. She is a keen photographer, specialising in pinhole photography. #youthambassadors

Ala Buisir - Born in Ireland, Ala’s family came from Libya. She graduated from TU Dublin with a BA in Photography and has recently finished an MA in journalism at DCU. Her work documents the social and political tensions around us today

Instagram Competition:

We want you to show us what life is like for young people in Ireland right now - this is a window on your world. The competition is open to anyone aged between 13 and 18 years old (inclusive). Use the assignment themes to help get you started, and feel free to enter as many times as you like. To take part you need to:

Send your images via direct message to @gallery_of_photography_ireland & Post your entries on Instagram with the hashtag #fotonanog

The Gallery of Photography Ireland is inviting young photographers across the island of Ireland to share their creative vision through an exciting new photography competition.

Exploring different themes relating to home, family and their local environment, participants will get the opportunity to share their images with a panel of expert judges. They will also be guided and supported on ideas and technical skills, through a free online workshop and easy to access downloadable photo tips.

Live Online Smartphone Photography Workshop

Learn how to up your photography game! on our free online workshop Sat, May 22nd at 12pm.

About the project

This project is an initiative of Gallery of Photography Ireland (an organisation funded by @dublincitycouncil): it draws on our ongoing work with @dublincityartsoffice and @creativeireland Programme Diversity Commissions.

Fótó na nÓg Young Photographers Awards Programme

Free - live - online Smartphone Workshop for Teenagers this Saturday.
May 22nd, 12 midday. 

No registration necessary, free admission.
DATE: Saturday, 22 May 2021 12:00 - 12:45 BST

The Gallery of Photography Ireland is inviting young photographers across the island of Ireland to share their creative vision through an exciting new photography competition. The Fótó na nÓg Young Photographers Awards Programme has been designed with teenagers for teenagers. All you need to take part is a smartphone and an Instagram account. 

Exploring different themes relating to home, family and their local environment, participants will get the opportunity to share their images with a panel of expert judges. They will also be guided and supported on ideas and technical skills, through a free online workshop and easy to access downloadable photo tips. 

The three winners will have their work expertly printed and framed in time for a special presentation at Gallery of Photography Ireland (restrictions permitting).

1. Nationwide Photo Assignment

The challenge here is to photograph your family, your home, and your local area. This is about seeing the world around you in new, exciting ways. To help inspire you we’re suggesting three different themes:

My Family

Photograph the people in your life

For this theme you could:

• Make a portrait of your pet, favourite person or the oldest person you know

• Photograph the person who has had the most influence on you

• Make a portrait of different generations of people together but socially distanced

My Home 

Photograph where you live

For this theme you could:

• Photograph a view from your window or your favourite spot in your home.

• Create shadows and shapes using artificial light from lamps or torches and record them. 

  Use reflections, lines and perspective to see your home in a surprising way.

My Local Area

Photograph the area around you

For this theme you could:

• Photograph your favourite local place

• Photograph from a bus, tram or car

• Photograph a place you don’t like

2. Live Online Smartphone Photography Workshop 

Learn how to up your photography game! This workshop with photography tutor & artist Brian Cregan is packed with tips and resources on how to get the most from your smartphone camera. It includes a live Q&A session so you can get advice on any questions you have. The workshop takes place Saturday, May 22nd at 12pm. Please have Zoom downloaded before the workshop, see preparation details below.

About the tutor:

Brian Cregan portrait by Joseph Carr

Brian Cregan is an artist photographer who explores the potential of photography to represent our relationship with landscape, natural history and the built environment.

Working independently on commissions and assignments, he has successfully collaborated on numerous projects with other artists, curators, educators, designers and architects. His work as an educator is integrated into his practice and often forms the inspiration for new work.

He is a member of  the pioneering Teacher Artist Partnership and since 2018 he has  been working as a Creative Associate with the Arts Council  on the Creative Schools programme.

He recently received a Young People, Children and Education Bursary Award from the Arts Council that will enable him to work with the Gallery of Photography to research, design and deliver new educational workshop ideas connected with the exhibitions programme, darkroom, studios and bookshop.

3. Instagram Competition

Along with the assignment, Gallery of Photography Ireland is running a competition to encourage young photographic talent. We want you to show us what life is like for young people in Ireland right now - this is a window on your world. The competition is open to anyone aged between 13 and 18 years old. Use the assignment themes to help get you started, and feel free to enter as many times as you like. To take part you need to:

• SEND your images via direct message to @gallery_of_photography_ireland

  and

• POST your entries on Instagram with the hashtag #fotonanog 

The competition is open until midnight on Sunday, May 30th. The jury will then select three overall winners.

The Jury for the Fótó na nÓg Young Photographers Awards Programme will be:

• Ala Buisir - Born in Ireland, Ala’s family came from Libya. She graduated from TU Dublin with a BA in Photography and has recently finished an MA in journalism at DCU. Her work documents the social and political tensions around us today. 

• Tobi Isaac-Irein - Born in Ibadan, Nigeria, Tobi came to Dublin when he was six years old. He has worked in film production and also with many music labels. His artwork has been published in magazine and online media platform Slight Motif.

• Ciara Li - Currently Gallery of Photography Ireland’s Youth Ambassador, Ciara is a 5th Year student at Holy Faith Clontarf in Dublin. She is a keen photographer, specialising in pinhole photography. 

 4. Fótó na nÓg Young Photographers Awards Presentation

Three winners will be announced at an in-person media event on June 12th (restrictions permitting) at Gallery of Photography Ireland. The winners will be presented with exhibition-quality framed prints of their winning shots, receive certificates, and have their photos published in the Fótó na nÓg e-zine.

To get you started join our free online workshop on Saturday May 22, at 12 midday.

GOOD LUCK!

What do I need to prepare?
Please download the app SNAPSEED, it's free. Apple. Android.
Please download the app ZOOM, it's free. https://zoom.us/
We would encourage you to use a laptop/desktop for the session and have your smartphone free to follow what the tutor is doing.
Please charge up your smartphone before the class and make sure that you will have plenty of space for new photographs.

About the project
This project is an initiative of Gallery of Photography Ireland (an organisation funded by Dublin City Council): it draws on our ongoing work with Dublin City Arts Office and Creative Ireland Programme Diversity Commissions

Please email info@galleryofphotography.ie if you have any questions or phone 01 6714654 between 12 – 2pm Monday to Friday.

Having Regard: Artist Commission project launch with photographer Kate Nolan, composer Irene Buckley & curator Trish Lambe

Save the Date: Friday May 7 at 7pm

Dear friends,

You are invited to this special online event to launch HAVING REGARD, a new video project by photographer Kate Nolan & composer Irene Buckley. This launch will be hosted by Trish Lambe, curator at Gallery of Photography Ireland.

Commissioned by Gallery of Photography Ireland to mark the Centenary of Partition, this ongoing interdisciplinary artists collaboration is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland. 

The completed work HAVING REGARD will be presented as part of the contemporary programme in our upcoming 'In Our Own Image - photography & Ireland' landmark history of photography season commencing in November 2021.

Online May 7 at 7pm photographer Kate Nolan will discuss the evolution of her long term project LACUNA, an audio/visual work that considers the physical and psychological impact of partition on young people of the Irish borderlands, supported by the Arts Council of Ireland & Gallery of Photography Ireland.

Kate Nolan is a photographic artist and filmmaker continuously drawn to 'in-between' spaces in flux. Her practice is centered on sustained engagement and dialogues with communities in geographical locations where identity and territory are contested. Combining still and moving images with stories from participants, she highlights the contradictions and tenuous relationships between political borders and cultural identity.

Her long-term project LACUNA (2015-2021), was first exhibited at the Gallery of Photography Ireland in September 2017 and has been supported by the Art's Council of Ireland. She has been the recipient of several residencies, recently in the Digital Hub Ireland, Headlands Centre for the Arts, California and Walkers Photographer in Residence, Ireland. Nolan's work is held in public and private collections in Japan, USA, France, Portugal, Mexico, UK and Ireland.

Photographer Kate Nolan

"The Gallery of Photography Ireland has supported my project LACUNA from its first solo show in 2017, being part of the touring Reframing the Border programme and continue to do so with this exceptional artists commission. This commission allows me the opportunity to not only create new audio-visual work in conjunction with the centenary of partition, but also to collaborate with the talented composer Irene Buckley. I'm excited to show our first video piece, Having Regard, looking out towards the sea border" KN

Composer Irene Buckley

Award winning composer Irene Buckley is active across many music disciplines including choral, opera, orchestral, dance, theatre, film and electronics.

She has received commissions from Union Chapel London, Irish National Opera, the Cork French Film Festival, and the Dutch National Youth Orchestra, the latter as a result of winning the 14th International Young Composers’ Meeting in the Netherlands. Through the different disciplines in which she composes, Irene’s music has been performed by many prestigious ensembles including the BBC Singers and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. Her film score for 'The Swing' was nominated for Best Original Music at the Festival International du Film d'Aubagne, France. 

Irene holds a PhD in Composition and a BMus from University College Cork and an MA in Music Technology from Queen's University Belfast. She attended Composition courses in the USA, Latvia and the Netherlands.

Artists commission funded by the Arts Council of Ireland.

Reframing 100 - Showcasing Creative Responses to the Border

Ciaran Dunbar, from the series Diesel, on show in Dundalk from 3rd May, 2021.

REFRAMING 100 PROJECT SHOWCASES CREATIVE RESPONSES TO THE BORDER AND SEEKS PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS

Reframing 100 is a unique new project from the Gallery of Photography Ireland and the Nerve Centre’s Making the Future project that aims to connect and inspire people by sharing photographs on billboards and an online instagram campaign.

100 years on, the border in Ireland continues to provoke intense speculation and debate. Reframing 100 presents 11 photographic installations by 9 contemporary artists whose work responds to issues raised by the border. The public billboards share the artists’ works with border communities in:

Armagh City: Enda Bowe – Love’s Fire Song

Carrick-on-Shannon: Nigel Swann – Borderlands

Cavan Town and Omagh: Brian Newman – Border People

Derry~Londonderry: Anthony Haughey – Field Notes from the Border

Dundalk: Ciaran Dunbar – Diesel

Enniskillen: Kate Nolan – LACUNA

Monaghan town: Kevin Fox – Drum: Portrait of a Village

Newry: Sean Hillen – Newry Gagarin Crosses the Border (2021 edition)

Sligo town: Dragana Jurišić – Fields of Gunnera

The billboard installations are on display from 3rd of May 2021 until 31st of May 2021.

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Get featured on our @Reframing_100 instagram

You are invited to share your photos with the project's instagram to create a real time archive. This important visual record will showcase and reflect on how the last 100 years have shaped our identities and our landscapes. 

Search and follow #Reframing100 adding the hashtag to your own photos and tagging the project page @Reframing_100 to have your say and share your story. 

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Background: The 9 artists included in the Reframing 100 billboard installations have been featured in the wider Reframing the Border project, a 5-year programme exploring the diverse geographical, psychological and imagined spaces of the borderlands in Ireland. Developed in partnership with artists, curators, arts organisations, communities and funders, Reframing the Border offers creative insights into the issues affecting border communities. It presents work made in the borderlands to border communities through a programme of exhibitions, events and public art installations.

Reframing the Border is supported by: Department of Foreign Affairs - Reconciliation Fund; Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media -Co-operation with Northern Ireland Scheme; Monaghan County Heritage and Arts Offices; The Heritage Council; Monaghan County Creative Ireland programme; Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny; Remote Photo Festival and Donegal County Museum. Gallery of Photography Ireland is supported by The Arts Council and Dublin City Council.

Making the Future

Making the Future is a cross-border cultural programme empowering people to use museum collections and archives to explore the past and create a powerful vision for future change. The regional programme is being delivered by a consortium of leading cultural organisations including the Nerve Centre, National Museums NI, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and Linen Hall Library, supported through €1.82m of EU funding under the PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Special EU Programmes Body PEACE IV

The Special EU Programmes Body is a North/South Implementation Body sponsored by the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in Ireland.It is responsible for managing two EU Structural Funds Programmes, PEACE IV and INTERREG VA which are designed to enhance cross-border co-operation, promote reconciliation and create a more peaceful and prosperous society. The Programmes operate within a clearly defined area including Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and in the case of INTERREG VA, Western Scotland. The PEACE IV Programme has a value of €270 million and aims to promote peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland. For more information on the SEUPB please visit www.seupb.eu

Nerve Centre 

The Nerve Centre is Northern Ireland’s leading creative media arts centre with sites in Derry~Londonderry and Belfast. More than 120,000 people a year benefit from the Nerve Centre’s wide-ranging programme of arts events, cutting edge projects, creative learning centres, training opportunities and state-of-the-art production facilities. 

www.nervecentre.org 

Personal Practice: Autobiographical Stories in Photography with Miriam O'Connor

Save the Date: Thursday 22 April at 2pm online

Personal Practice: Autobiographical Stories in Photography with Miriam O'Connor @miriam_o_connor

Self portrait, Miriam O’Connor

In this special afternoon session, photographer and educator Miriam O'Connor will give an in-depth presentation about her new book Tomorrow is Sunday, recently published by Gallery of Photography Ireland with support from A Woman’s Work, a Creative Europe Cooperation project.

In 'Tomorrow is Sunday' Miriam explored how photography could be used to help her come to terms with the death of her brother, Jerome. It became a means, as she says herself, of “acknowledging the complexities of grief and the magnitude of navigating a way through this life-changing event.”

Miriam will discuss her approach to transforming and re-casting her personal story into the basis for creative work. She will explore the different strategies she used to find the universal in the personal, and to shape autobiographical experience into an innovative visual narrative, one involving diverse approaches to photography, from the touching to the outright humorous.

For the talk Miriam will also be joined by designer Niall McCormack @hitonebooks to talk about the development of the book. Gallery of Photography Ireland Co-Director Tanya Kiang @kiangtanya will facilitate the discussion. For a limited period, those attending the talk event will be able to avail of a special discounted price of €30 for Tomorrow is Sunday in the gallery’s online bookshop.

click here for zoom link, free event

#miriamoconnor #tomorrowissunday #galleryofphotographyireland #photographyinireland #irishphotography #awomanswork #creativeeuropedesk #tanyakiang #niallmccormack #photobooks #autobiography #photostorytelling #farmlife #grief #expression #universalinthepersonal #personalpractice #discussionsonphotography #waysofseeing #understandingphotography #artscouncilireland #family #dearjerome #corkireland #treeoflife #routine @sourcephotographicreview @iarts_jim @ed_at_iarts @futuresphotography @siriusartscentre @sternview_gallery

Supported by @artscouncilireland @ced_ireland_culture @awomansworkeu @corkcountycouncil @galleryofphotographyireland

Virtual visits now open at Gallery of Photography Ireland

To celebrate International Women's Day Gallery of Photography Ireland launched its first ever virtual visit in its 43 year history.

A Woman’s Work: Clare Gallagher & Csilla Klenyánszki

Gallery of Photography Ireland is delighted to present a new two-person exhibition of work by Clare Gallagher and Csilla Klenyánszki. The exhibition features Gallagher’s series The Second Shift and Klenyánszki’s Pillars of Home.

These important works are presented to Irish audiences as part of ‘A Woman’s Work’, an initiative funded by Creative Europe to consider the representation of women’s labour in all its forms, and our own curatorial focus on contemporary women’s practice. Although made long before the COVID-19 pandemic the projects take on a new resonance in light of our changed relationship to domestic space, revealing it as both a place of refuge and a territory marked by unexpected tensions.

click image to enter