Towards a Museum for Visual Culture & Critical Thinking
In Autumn 2017, PhotoIreland Foundation started specific research around Photography in Ireland, a project part of the Critical Academy. The aim of the research is to publicly define, evaluate, and reflect on the current situation of the practice and all the elements that affect it, sharing results and recommendations along the way, and proposing benchmarked improvements.
The Museum of Contemporary Photography of Ireland is part of that practice based research, specifically aiming to create the ideal prototype space to actively engage with Visual Culture and Critical Thinking today.
This first iteration of the Museum project launches on Thursday 4th July at The Printworks in Dublin Castle, as a temporary event for the month of July, with the kind support of The Office of Public Works (OPW). However, over the next years, the museum will present an evolving model appearing in a variety of locations, openly investigating experimental and critical propositions in aspects relating to museology, curation, cultural policy and Arts management.
The research sets an important departure towards a new arena where Art and cultural practices and their socio-political context can be both enjoyed and examined in a richly participatory way, with the use of contemporary methodologies.
Launch of the Museum of Contemporary Photography of Ireland
For the full month of July, come and celebrate with us a unique programme showcasing works of local and international contemporary artists working with photography, right in the city centre at The Printworks, Dublin Castle.
Beginning on 4th July and running until 28th July, this pop-up space we called the Museum of Contemporary Photography of Ireland will be launched as part of PhotoIreland Festival 201910th anniversary festivities.
An incredible 2000m² space awaits you, hosting an amazing line-up; and despite its temporary presence, a myriad of events as well as a rich educational programme will take place during this time.
The space presents itself as an established museum, although without a collection per se, presenting, aside from the main exhibitions, photographic works from various public collections instead as its own, highlighting the fact that many outstanding photographic artworks are currently kept in storage in several public holdings in Ireland, such as the Arts Council, OPW, IMMA, and others. After all, these are indeed the property of all Irish citizens.
Adding to these, visitors enjoyed exciting items from private collectors based on the island, underlining their important role in supporting the practice of this discipline today and preserving it for the future.
The museum has been conceived as a welcoming space where to enjoy an engagement with the Arts, and where to discover the practice of emerging artists working around Photography. It also invites everyone into an open discussion around the need for a Museum of Contemporary Photography of Ireland.
See the full programme of exhibitions and events >>>
Developed by the PhotoIreland Foundation, the project is kindly supported by The Office of Public Works, the Arts Council of Ireland, the Dublin City Council Arts Office and Events Section, the Embassy of France in Dublin, the Alliance Française, Hang Tough framing, and Inspirational Arts.
PhotoIreland Festival is kindly supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and Dublin City Council. This year, the festival is made possible thanks to the Creative Europe Programme platforms Futures and Parallel, and the support of the Office of Public Works.
