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A photograph of a white tin jug, a white tin teapot and a smaller mustard yellow tin teapot placed on the floor. There is a pink and white curled wire coming out of the mustard yellow teapot. The background is blurred, but there is a crowd of people looking at a television on a chair.

Curator's Tour: How is it made?

What materials does an artist decide on and what are the reasons behind the choice? How do artists transform materials? How do materials convey meaning?

The question of how and why an artist uses materials has long been a topic of consideration in art history. Today, many artists are looking to this question and seeking to find a balance between what they use to make work and the concepts behind them. Providing agency to the materials themselves, artists are looking at materials as a means of communication, whether they are expanding on traditional media and narratives or utilizing everyday objects to construct new forms.

Looking at the work of David Lunney, Áine McBride and Katie Watchorn within the exhibition From Here to There, this themed tour led by our Learning and Engagement Curator, Fernando Sánchez-Migallón Cano will focus on materials and processes as a way to explore how the choice of material impacts the ideas the artwork communicates to the viewer as well as help us gaining a deeper understanding of how artists work today.

Upcoming Events

A red light in a dark room illuminates a set of foil curtains
Bill Harris
Foil Curtains & Fog Machines

The Douglas Hyde is delighted to present a new music session where artist Bill Harris will host an experimental electronic dance night as part of our First Thursday series. Through this new series of late openings, the gallery becomes a space for hosting unexpected, experimental practices across multiple artforms from live music and expanded cinema […]

Kirkos
Music Session

The Douglas Hyde is delighted to present a new music session with music assemble Kirkos as part of our First Thursday series. Through this new series of late openings, the gallery becomes a space for hosting unexpected, experimental practices across multiple artforms from live music and expanded cinema to performance and spoken word. Join us each […]

A group of cartoon characters in different outfits
Isadora Epstein
Medium Mediums

The Douglas Hyde is delighted to present a new performance by artist Isadora Epstein as part of our First Thursday series. Through this new series of late openings, the gallery becomes a space for hosting unexpected, experimental practices across multiple artforms from live music and expanded cinema to performance and spoken word. Join us each First […]

A group of people sign language in a lecturing theatre
Dr John Bosco Conama
On Irish Sign Language

The Douglas Hyde is delighted to share details of this upcoming talk by Dr John Bosco Conama on the history of Irish Sign Language in the context of Amanda Coogan’s Freude! Freude! project. An interpreter will be present at this talk to provide Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation. Booking required. Please use the link on this page to […]

A person with her arm raised in front of a painting
Amanda Coogan
In conversation with Georgina Jackson

The Douglas Hyde is delighted to present an Artist Talk where artist Amanda Coogan will be joined in conversation by Dr Georgina Jackson, Director at The Douglas Hyde, to discuss the many aspects of Coogan’s Freude! Freude! project. An interpreter will be present at this talk to provide Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation. Booking required. Please use the […]

A large room with stairs and computer equipment
Open House 2023

Open House is an annual three-day festival of architecture, opening up usually inaccessible architectural treasures to the public with a programme of tours and talks. A renowned example of Brutalist architecture, The Douglas Hyde Gallery will participate in Open House 2023 with a series of tours. Join us on 14 and 15 October 2023 for […]

Art & Ideas

Artists present us with new perspectives on the world we live in. Explore the exciting ideas behind our programmes, hear more from the artists we work with and discover new ways of engaging with art.

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