About the Gallery
The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art is a space to see and learn about contemporary art. We place the artist at the centre of what we do. We support artists who push the boundaries of form and convention, and we aim to provoke new ideas.
Opening times
“The Douglas Hyde is a unique space in many ways. Architecturally, it has been one of the most exciting spaces I’ve worked in, the team is dedicated and intelligent, and the programme offers a rich engagement in both aesthetics and politics; for both local and international audiences.”
Jumana Manna, artist
The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art was co-founded in a unique partnership between the Arts Council of Ireland and Trinity College Dublin. It opened to the public in March 1978 as the first publicly funded space dedicated to contemporary art and the first university gallery in Ireland. Throughout its history, the Douglas Hyde has presented pivotal exhibitions by Irish artists and brought artists of significant international.
We believe that art plays a central role in shaping the world we live in, and that galleries are an essential public space in a progressive society. As an institution we value excellence, enquiry, experimentation and diversity. Art deepens our understanding of ourselves and gives us new ways of thinking and of seeing the world.
We speak across vocabularies and foster conversation and collaboration locally, nationally and internationally with recent partnerships including: Department of Botany, TCD, Trinity Access Programme, Void Gallery, Derry, Science Gallery Dublin, Pavee Point, Irish Folklore Archive, Poetry Ireland, Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, Switzerland, Oakville Galleries, Canada, Grazer Kunstverein, Austria and 80WSE Gallery at New York University.
We stand at the meeting point between the city of Dublin and the leading research university in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin.
Giulia Berto | Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Giulia is an arts administrator and photographic artist with over twelve years’ experience of working in the arts internationally, including a role as a Press Officer at Frieze London and New York as well as coordinated and delivered photography exhibitions such as ‘I Am Unbeatable’ at the Vanderbilt Fine Arts Gallery and ‘The Garment Worker Project’ at Sotheby’s. Prior to her position at The Douglas Hyde, Giulia worked with the Law Society of Ireland. There she delivered the marketing strategy for the Calcutta Run, its annual fundraising event in aid of The Hope Foundation and Peter McVerry Trust. Her photographic work is routinely published and exhibited worldwide and has won numerous awards. She graduated from the International Center of Photography in New York and holds an MSc in Evolution of Animal and Human Behaviour as well as a BSc in Biology.
Aisling Clark | Provost’s Curatorial Fellow
Aisling Clark is an emerging curator currently based in Dublin. Her curatorial interests include commoning, the politics of care, and art institutions. She has curated projects as a Co-Director of the artist-run space Embassy, and assisted with the annual shows of the Exhibiting Societies of Scottish Artists.
Aisling holds an LLB Law from Trinity College, where she was a Reid Scholar and undertook her capstone research project on the repatriation of cultural objects in museums and decolonization. As a graduate of the MSc Modern & Contemporary Art: History, Curating and Criticism at the University of Edinburgh, she was awarded the Baldwin Brown dissertation prize for her thesis on the art collective Ruangrupa and Documenta Fifteen. Aisling most recently worked at the Fruitmarket, Edinburgh, to recontextualize exhibitions from the gallery’s archive.
Isadora Epstein | Gallery Assistant
Isadora Epstein is a writer and performer based in Dublin whose work hosts a conversation between visual art and performance. Her work was selected for 2017 Pallas Periodical Review #7. She received the Judge’s Choice Award for her Dublin Fringe 2016 production, very rich hours, at Temple Bar Gallery + Studios and her production flemish proverbs received the Best Design Award in 2015, also for Dublin Fringe. She has had recent performances at IMMA, the NCAD gallery and Kuva exhibition lab, Helsinki.
Georgina Jackson | Director
Georgina Jackson is the Director of The Douglas Hyde. She is responsible for the vision of the organisation and works closely with the team and board to realise this. Georgina’s first encounter with the gallery was working on the front desk while studying History of Art at Trinity College, an experience that was foundational in her relationship with contemporary art. She went on to be the Exhibitions Curator at the Hugh Lane, a Project Curator at the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the inaugural Curator-in-Residence at the Mattress Factory Art Museum in Pittsburgh. She completed her Phd, titled ‘The Exhibition and the Political’, through the Graduate School of Creative Arts & Media in 2012 and has taught at the National College of Art & Design, Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin Institute of Technology and the University of Toronto. Prior to The Douglas Hyde, she was the Director of Exhibitions & Programmes at Mercer Union, a Centre for Contemporary Art, in Toronto from 2013 until 2017. She is on the Steering Committee for the National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA).
Eoghan McIntyre | Gallery Assistant
Eoghan is a Dublin-based artist and writer who uses art criticism, fiction and illustration to critique the intersection of art and ethics. Often working through collaboration and performance, McIntyre’s practice explores the social responsibilities of art.
Rachel McIntyre | Gallery Manager
As Gallery Manager, Rachel McIntyre works alongside the Director on the overall management of the gallery; exhibitions, operations, and legal and financial resources of the organisation. Previously she curated the Gallery’s Learning and Engagement Programme, planning a programme of talks, screenings, tours and other events that open up discussion around the exhibitions. Before joining the Gallery, Rachel worked in the Library and Archives Department of the National Gallery of Ireland, where she also delivered guided tours of the collection and exhibitions. Her background is in the history of art and she has written essays for exhibitions in the Gallery and independently.
Aisling ní Aodha | Gallery Assistant
Aisling ní Aodha is an NCAD graduate of Painting and Visual Culture. She uses the coercive rituals of a painting practice and writing to explore the aesthetics of environmental perception. Recent works include situland (2019) her NCAD Degree Show piece and a Student Forum event, Old Invitations (2019) held in The Douglas Hyde. Her writing and research around her practice can be found at the nameless, the void.
Fernando Sánchez-Migallón Cano | Learning & Engagement Curator
As Learning & Engagement Curator, Fernando Sánchez-Migallón Cano oversees the development and delivery of a fully integrated Learning and Engagement programme that is integral to the activities of the gallery, aiming to expand and enhance the exhibition programme by offering multiple engagement points. Fernando received his BA in Art History and Archaeology from University College Dublin. He completed his Phd, titled ‘The Power of Display: Exhibition Culture and Exhibited Culture in Ireland 1973 – 1991’, through the School of History and Humanities, Trinity College Dublin in 2020. His major field of research is contemporary art history and its application to museum studies focusing on the socio-cultural impact of exhibition making.
Shaista Sosrowardoyo | Gallery Assistant
Shaista Sosrowardoyo is a Malaysian-Indonesian, Dublin-based researcher, curator, and creative practitioner. As early-career curator, their practice aims to reimagine dominant curatorial and archival methods, informed by their rigorous anthropological/ethnographic training and research interests in contemporary art’s public and social position.
They are currently curating their first show with Ranelagh Arts/Angelica Network for October 2023, and working as Artist-in-Residence Project Researcher at the National Museum of Ireland with artist Anthony Haughey until June 2023. Recently, they co-produced Hot glue (2022) which showed at The Complex, Dublin, and Platform Arts, Belfast and exhibited work for the Student Forum show, Rendering New Realities, Access and Alterity, The Douglas Hyde (2021). They hold an M.Phil. in Public History and Cultural Heritage from Trinity College, Dublin and a BA (Hons) Anthropology degree from the University of Bristol.
Jen Wade | Gallery Assistant
Jen Wade is a contemporary figurative painter based in dublin. Through her work, she uses the human form to explore our relationships with and reactions to physicality, as well as individual experiences of transition, liminal spaces and interior lives.
Board
Patrick Prendergast (Chair) | Appointed June 2021
Patrick is currently Research Professor at Trinity College Dublin, where he served as President & Provost from 2011 to 2021. His experience includes development of global partnerships, research, innovation, and university advancement where he led Trinity’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign ‘Inspiring Generations’ to exceed its €400m target. He served on the Board of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for eight years, and is the chair of the Board of Science Gallery International, a network of nine galleries on four continents.
Quentin Crowley | Appointed December 2019
Quentin is Associate Professor in the School of Natural Sciences and Director of the Centre for the Environment at Trinity College Dublin. He is a Funded Investigator in the iCRAG SFI Research Centre, and Trinity College’s academic lead for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology Climate-KIC. Dr Crowley’s main research expertise is in geochemistry applied to environmental change though time. His work on the contemporary environment has links with environmental contaminants, human health and human perceptions of environmental risk. Dr Crowley is a keen advocate of creative thinking and innovation applied to a range of environmental topics, in order to address societal challenges.
Willie Doherty | Appointed March 2017
Willie is an artist and a Visiting Professor at Ulster University. He has exhibited in many of the world’s leading museums, including the CAM Gulbenkian, Lisbon; De Pont Museum, Tilburg; SMK, Copenhagen; TATE, London; Dallas Museum of Art; Speed Museum, Kentucky; Kunsthalle Bern; Lenbachhaus München and the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. He was nominated twice for the Turner Prize, and has participated in major international exhibitions including Documenta, Manifesta, the Carnegie International, and the Venice, São Paulo, Sydney and Istanbul biennales.
Oisin McClenaghan | Appointed October 2018
Oisin is a partner in the Asset Management and Investment Funds Group at Matheson. He practises financial services law and advises a wide range of domestic and international clients on the structuring, establishment, marketing and sale of investment vehicles and products in Ireland and other jurisdictions. In particular, he advises on the legal and regulatory issues surrounding the establishment of private and public investment funds in Ireland, the structuring, offer and sale of investment instruments and investment products, the provision of investment advice, mergers and acquisitions of investment fund groups, and other financial services. Oisin is a member of Irish Funds Legal and Regulatory Working Group and contributes to industry publications and industry consultations. He has lectured on the legal and regulatory aspects of investment funds at both The Institute of Banking and NUI Maynooth masters programmes.
Daniel McFarlane | Appointed April 2020
Daniel is a Trinity Access, Schools & Community Outreach Team Member. He primarily works as a Transition Year and Arts & Culture Coordinator. His work within Trinity Access tends to be with external bodies such as publishers, artists, theatre-makers, cultural programmers and European languages Institutes in Dublin. His recent projects have been with European partners such as Stiftung Mercator and the Goethe-Institut and other local Irish partners as the Abbey Theatre, the Lab Gallery, Royal Irish Academy of Music and the Irish Times. Daniel’s work is informed by his background whilst being inclusion-lead with a focus on working with low-income and under-represented social groups.
Helen Meany | Appointed March 2017
Helen is an arts journalist, critic and consultant. She is the Literature Advisor to the Arts Council, where she advises on literature and publishing, and theatre critic for Ireland with The Guardian newspaper. She writes and broadcasts widely on the arts, contributing to books and journals. She has been a visiting lecturer in contemporary theatre and criticism at Trinity College Dublin, UCD and DIT, and presents critics’ writing programmes at international arts festivals. She is a former editor of Irish Theatre Magazine (2005-11), and arts journalist and commissioning editor with The Irish Times (1991-2002). She was Curator of the Arts Council’s international Critical Voices programme in 2005-6. She is currently Chairperson of Dublin Dance Festival.
Niamh O’Malley | Appointed July 2017
Niamh is a visual artist based in Dublin, she also lectures in Fine Art at the Technological University, Dublin (TU Dublin). Her videos, drawings and sculptures often act as filters and invite us to enter the spaces between objects and places and our ideas of them. Her work is included in numerous private & public collections including The Hugh Lane, Dublin City Gallery, Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Arts Council of Ireland & Galleria Arte Moderna, Turin. Recent critical writings on her practice can be read in Frieze, Art Monthly, ArtReview, Artforum, thisistomorrow, Enclave Review, Paper Visual Art. Niamh will represent Ireland at 59th Venice Biennale in 2022.
Aidan Walsh | Appointed October 2018
Aidan is a partner for over 10 years in EY, the accountancy firm. He is a Solicitor and Associate of the Institute of Taxation in Ireland. He is a member of EY’s EMEIA Governance council and is a director of a number of Irish regulated and other companies. Aidan is co-author of a number of books and articles on technical matters.
All members of the Board are also members of the Company. At present there are no other Company members.
The Douglas Hyde is committed to the implementation of the Code of Governance and the Principles of Good Fundraising.
Please download the Gallery’s Fundraising Principles and Donor Charter here and Feedback Procedures here.
The Douglas Hyde Gallery is proudly supported by the Arts Council, An Chomhairle Ealaíon, and Trinity College, Dublin. Registered Charity No. CHY 6700
The Douglas Hyde Gallery is hugely grateful to the following individuals for their generous support:
Director’s Circle
Ariadne Ní Dhonnchú, Adrian and Jennifer O’Carroll, K. Smith and A. Walsh, Emma Goltz.
Champions
Dónall Curtin & Anne O’Donoghue, John Daly (Hillsboro Fine Art), Maire & Maurice Foley, Marie Heaney, mother’s tankstation, Sorcha Richardson, Joan Roth.
Benefactors
David Horkan
Friends
Gale Aitken, Dermott Barrett, Maria Buckley, Eleanor Costello, Gerry Costello, Genieve Figgis, Ira Haeussler, Michael Hill, Professor Trevor Hodkinson, Melanie le Brocquy, Professor C. Salvadori Lonergan, Bernadette Madden, Monster Truck Gallery and Studios, Lucy ShuYao Lu, Kate Strain, Liz Ward
Support us
There are many ways you can support the Douglas Hyde Gallery; from making a one-off donation to joining as a supporter, or helping to fund an artist’s commission, a programme or organisational initiative.
The Douglas Hyde Gallery was co-founded by the Arts Council and Trinity College in 1978 as Ireland’s first publicly funded gallery for contemporary art and first university gallery.
In a truly unique partnership the Arts Council of Ireland and Trinity College Dublin co-founded the Douglas Hyde Gallery. It opened to the public on the 1st March 1978 as the first university gallery and first publicly funded contemporary art exhibition space in Ireland, with an exhibition of the painter Jo Baer. As Taoiseach at the time Mr Jack Lynch said in his opening remarks, “I would hope that out of this ferment of activity in the visual arts, we will see developing in the future a fuller dimension in our lives, a dimension which has not been markedly present in the past.” The name of the gallery takes one of Trinity’s graduates who contributed much to the development of national awareness and was the first President of Ireland. In his opening speech Dawson, argued “I hope that it will make a national contribution, worthy of the name it bears. I believe that it will be worthy to the extent that it serves the artists of this country well.”
Throughout the past 43 years, there are many incredible highlights, from Edward Kienholz’s pioneering exhibition in 1981 to Alice Neel’s exhibition in 2011. The DHG has presented pivotal solo exhibitions by Irish artists including Gerard Byrne, Kathy Prendergast and Eva Rothschild, bringing their work to wider national and international attention, while introducing artists of huge international standing, such as Marlene Dumas, Anselm Kiefer, and Jumana Manna, to Ireland for the first time.
We have a unique track record of developing, producing and presenting innovative exhibitions by Irish and international artists in formative and established stages of their careers resonating strongly with audiences in Dublin, Ireland and beyond.
The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art is housed in the Arts Building of Trinity College Dublin.
Like the nearby Berkeley Library, it was designed by Paul Koralek of ABK architects. The space is an interesting example of late 1970s Brutalist architecture, juxtaposing heavy, angular concrete structures with massive voids.
In the main exhibition space, Gallery 1, the high walls and large, open floor area create a dramatic and memorable space for the display of artworks. In contrast, the award-winning Gallery 2, designed by McCullough Mulvin architects and opened in 2001, provides a more intimate and meditative environment.
The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art, centrally located on the campus of Trinity College Dublin, is a much sought after venue for hire.
A building of unique architectural significance, it is adaptable to ambitious projects, high concept events, and intimate gatherings.
Visitors enter into a foyer leading to a balcony which provides a birds-eye view of Gallery 1, a dramatic double-height space, with adjustable lighting. Gallery 2 is a more intimate setting, which can be self-contained or act as an extension to the main space.
For further information and to enquire about availability and rates, please complete our Gallery Rental Enquiry Form and send it to Rachel McIntyre, Gallery Manager. Please provide as much detail as possible to allow us to answer your query.
How to Support Us
The Douglas Hyde has gained worldwide recognition in platforming new and diverse perspectives in contemporary art. In supporting us you are enabling artists to make their most ambitious work to date and helping to bring that work to new audiences.
