About The Douglas Hyde:

The Douglas Hyde was co-founded by the Arts Council and Trinity College in 1978 as Ireland’s first publicly funded gallery for contemporary art. As an artist-centred space, with dedicated curatorial direction, we aim to be catalysts for the creation of art, providing commissioning and production support. We prioritise the role of the artist within society and see contemporary art as a space to engage with our world, linking art, critical discourse and research.

The Douglas Hyde is situated on the campus of Trinity College, the University of Dublin. The entrance door into the space is on the left of the Nassau Street Gate into the campus. The front door is on first floor level and leads visitors to the reception desk and bookshop. A cantilevered staircase with 16 steps descends to the ground floor of Gallery 1. There are three steps or a ramp access to a lower level and Gallery 2.

There is a lift to the lower floors in the Arts Building of Trinity College. Toilets and baby changing rooms are also available in this area. Our Gallery Assistants will lead visitors to these facilities on request. If you have any questions, worries or suggestions about accessibility at the gallery, please do talk to one of our Gallery Assistants who will be able to help you.

If you would like to talk to us about accessibility in advance of your visit, please feel free to get in touch by phone or email.

About Valérie Blass:

For her first exhibition in Ireland, the Montreal-based artist brings together a selection of works from the past six years. More than half the works are sculptures, the rest are photomontages that depict hybrid human forms in motion. The sculptures too seem poised for movement; on their way somewhere and full of vitality in their gestures and poses. Blass’ materials come as much from the street, antique shops, flea markets or the aisles of hardware stores, as from traditional studio processes of casting and moulding. As a result of years of working in stage and set design, Blass is skilled at creating imitation surfaces, cleverly replicating precious materials with everyday objects. The element of surprise is central; in her work nothing is as it first appears.