PhotoIreland is pleased to announce the main elements of the Programme 2026 for the International Centre for the Image.
The year 2025 marked a defining chapter for photography in Ireland with the launch of the International Centre for the Image, PhotoIreland’s new landmark, a brand-new cultural space for Dublin, and Ireland’s largest space dedicated to Photography. Conceptually and architecturally, the museum is arranged around four interlocking core areas of arts practice: Research (Art Library and Archive), Production (Atelier and Artist Studios), Exhibition, and Storage and Conservation.
The Centre launched last summer with the ambitious first exhibition entitled Foreword, which featured works, many never seen in Ireland before, by 17 diverse contemporary artists. The show explored the curatorial issues the museum is dedicated to addressing. It was followed by other Irish premieres: Solastalgia by acclaimed Irish artist David Farrell and Journey to the Center by internationally renowned photographer Cristina De Middel.
In 2026, PhotoIreland presents a stimulating selection of practices at the International Centre for the Image, celebrating the work of contemporary artists through four core exhibitions.
The year starts with the premiere of AS IF, a new, extensive interdisciplinary work by internationally acclaimed photographer Eamonn Doyle, artist-designer Niall Sweeney, and composer David Donohoe. The resulting large-scale installation will occupy the museum galleries, featuring hundreds of previously unseen works and setting the tone for a formidable year at the Centre.
New Irish Works returns in its 5th edition to present the latest projects of 10 selected artists: Austin Hearne, Billy Kenrick, Ciara Richardson, Debbie Castro, Dorje De Burgh, Emily O’Connell, Garry Loughlin, Kate Nolan, Mandy O’Neill, and Miriam O’Connor. New Irish Works is PhotoIreland’s talent programme, providing a refreshing snapshot of contemporary photographic practices in Ireland.
In a double premiere, Rhiannon Adam and Lewis Bush, representing two very different and exciting practices, converse in parallel exhibitions about the moral dilemmas of space exploration and scientific progress. This is the first time both artists have exhibited in Ireland.
Image: from Depravity’s Rainbow by Lewis Bush, part of the programme 2026 at the International Centre for the Image.
