The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art is delighted to open applications for Exhibition Mediators at the Irish Pavilion during the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2026. Artist Isabel Nolan will represent Ireland at Venice, curated by Georgina Jackson with The Douglas Hyde, and produced by Cian O’Brien. Exhibition Mediators play a crucial role in Ireland’s presence at the Venice Biennale, introducing the artist’s work to audiences, welcoming visitors, maintaining the artwork and liaising with the core team.
Applications Closed
This is a unique opportunity for 10 individuals to be part of the Ireland at Venice 2026 team and spend 6 weeks living and working in Venice; engaging audiences with Irish contemporary art, engaging with artists and art practices from across the world, developing professional connections, and being immersed in the unique art & architecture of Venice. Your travel, accommodation and working hours will be paid.
The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2026 runs from 4 May to 22 November 2026. Successful applicants will be allocated a minimum block of 6 weeks during this period to live in Venice and work at the Irish Pavilion: 2 May to 15 June; 15 June to 27 July; 27 July to 7 September; 7 September to 19 October; or 19 October to 23 November (please note, this last period is 5 weeks instead of 6).
Exhibition Mediators will live and work in pairs with a shared schedule from Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 7pm or 10am to 6pm, working roughly 30 hours per week.
Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
The Douglas Hyde will provide:
Ireland at Venice wants to make sure that early-career artists and practitioners from all backgrounds—including people who are underrepresented in contemporary art—can apply to be Exhibition Mediators. We understand that some applicants may face additional barriers, and we want to help reduce those obstacles. Along with the weekly payment of €462, each mediator can also apply to receive an additional bursary of €1,000 maximum. This money can be used for anything that helps you take part—such as paying rent in Ireland, disability-related supports, extra childcare or other dependent care, or any other essential costs. All we ask is that you include some further details in your application.
The opportunity is suitable for graduates and students with a background in Fine Art, Visual Media or History of Art, early-career artists and creative practitioners based on the island of Ireland, with a knowledge of and passion for contemporary art.
We are delighted to partner with seven educational institutions across Ireland for Ireland at Venice 2026 who are supporting seven allocated placements for current students and graduates from: Burren College of Art; Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dún Laoghaire; Limerick School of Art and Design, TUS; MTU Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork; National College of Art & Design, Dublin; the Department of History of Art and Architecture at Trinity College, University of Dublin; and the School of Art History and Cultural Policy at University College Dublin.
For the other three placements, the DHG welcomes applications from all backgrounds and institutions on the island of Ireland, including applicants who have no experience of third-level education.
Please complete and submit the provided application form which can be accessed by clicking the ‘apply here’ button at the top of this page. This should include:
Application deadline: 30 January 2026, midnight (GMT). Interviews will be held on Friday 6th March and Monday 9th March on Zoom.
Easy read and audio versions of this callout are available below.
Expressions of interest can be sent in other formats (voice recording, video). For voice recorded and video applications, please send your application to Niamh Darling at niamh.darling@tcd.ie with the subject line VENICE MEDIATOR.
We apologize that we cannot reply to all applicants, and only those asked for interviews will be contacted. No phone calls please but any questions can be sent by email to the address listed here.
The Douglas Hyde is committed to equal opportunities. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse workforce.
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