Irish / Dublin Photographic Awesomeness: Three Exhibitions & The Library Project

Last week I was in Ireland to review out the new Olympus OM-D EM-1. I arrived a day early so I could take a little look around Dublin as I had never been there before, and I was pleasantly surprised at all the photography there was to be discovered.

The Library Project

The Library Project is a photographic book library in a pop-up location in the Temple Bar area of Dublin. Photographers and publishers have been donating books to them since 2011. In the short time I was there I could see they have an excellent collection, I spotted books from big names like Simon Roberts and Martin Parr as well as publications from smaller publishers like Café Royal books. It’s not a lending library but anyone can show up and check out what’s on the shelves. 

The Library Project Dublin

Visiting times can be found on there website here. 

Endurance exhibition

Recently I gave a talk about the photographer Frank Hurly who documented Shackleton’s arctic adventure. After the talk someone asked me if I had been to the Hurly exhibition when it was on in London. I was a little embarrassed to admit that I did not even know it had occurred. By luck I had accidentally discovered that said exhibition was on in Dún Laughaire just south of Dublin. I had taken the train eight miles south of Dublin on the recommendation of a friend and was pleasantly surprised to find the Frank Hurly exhibition is the first thing you see as you leave the train station and head towards the harbor. 

Frank Hurley Shackleton Endurance Exhibition

The photographs in the exhibition are laid out in chronological order and tell the incredible story of Shackleton’s arctic adventure. This was the first time I’ve seen Hurly’s prints outside of books and the internet, it was a real treat. The exhibition costs a mere €5 and is on till November 2014. Find out more on the exhibition’s website.

Gallery of Photography

After touching down in Dublin the first thing I did was google “Dublin Photography gallery,” and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was one on in the Temple Bar area a mere 100 meters away from my accommodation. The exhibition on show when I visited was The Market by Mark Curran which documents the Irish Stock Exchange in Dublin, Deutsche Borse in Frankfurt, Ethiopian Commodity Exchange, the financial centres of Canary Wharf and The City in London. This exhibition has finished now, as far as I can tell the gallery’s exhibition space regularly changes, for more information on what is currently being exhibited go to The Gallery of Photography’s website.

Mark Curran The Market

Mark Curran: Bethlehem, Trader, Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX); © Mark Curran

Irish National Photographic Archive

After settling in to my digs I went looking for the Gallery of Photography and accidentally stumbled upon the Irish National Photographic Archive. They have a large exhibition space which was showing work by the Taylor Wessing sort listed photographer Jeanette Lowe. Her project “Pearse House: Village in the City” documents the Pearse House which were built in the early 1930s to ease the housing crisis in Dublin. The images on show range from portraits and ephemera taken in and around the flats. Along with her photographs are pictures collected from current and past residents, some of which are on the project’s Facebook page. This exhibition will end on the 6th of October if you miss it you can see Jeanette’s work on her website. 

Photography in Ireland

I am left with the feeling that if this is what can be discovered in 22 hours mostly accidentally there must be a hell of a lot of photographic goodness waiting to be discovered in Ireland. 

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4 Responses to Irish / Dublin Photographic Awesomeness: Three Exhibitions & The Library Project

  1. John says:

    This is really cool to see different photography. It breaks the monotony of geographical sites etc. I have never been to Ireland but I do wish to go someday!

  2. nice write up and looks like a cool trip

  3. Ken Reid says:

    Excellent Kevin, glad you had a great positive experience!
    Ken

  4. Ken Finegan says:

    Ireland is a fabulous, vibrant place to be at the moment for photography, long may it continue!

    Ken

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