Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Linda Doyle notes, “I want to warmly congratulate Rachael Gunning on receiving the Provost’s Fellowship in Curating at The Douglas Hyde Gallery. Rachael brings great passion and creativity to the role, and I am delighted to see her take up this position. Over the years, the Provost’s Fellowship has enabled outstanding curators and artists to bring their unique perspectives to The Douglas Hyde Gallery, enriching its programmes and activities. Rachael joins the Gallery at a particularly exciting time: Georgina Jackson, the Gallery’s director, is currently curating the Irish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, one of the most significant and influential platforms in international contemporary art. I am very much looking forward to seeing how Rachael’s already impressive ambition will contribute to the Gallery’s continued success.”

Rachael Gunning graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2021, completing her BA in History of Art and Philosophy. On her appointment, Rachael says, “I am hugely grateful to the Provost Linda Doyle, and to the team at the Douglas Hyde for this opportunity to develop my curatorial practice. With the Gallery’s commitment to supporting artists and its exceptional international outlook, this Fellowship offers an unparalleled experience to develop key skills in a supportive environment. I’m very excited to continue working with the team, contribute to exhibition programming, and cultivate my research skills this year.”

Director Georgina Jackson states, “We are delighted to welcome Rachael to The Douglas Hyde team. Her curiosity, insight and commitment to contemporary art brings great energy to the gallery. Opportunities such as this fellowship are vital in nurturing the next generation of curators, providing the experience, mentorship and support needed to develop careers in the arts.” She continues, “We are deeply grateful to Provost Linda Doyle for her continued and generous support of The Douglas Hyde, and particularly for her commitment to this fellowship and to investing in the next generation of curators.”

Rachael Gunning completed her BA in History of Art and Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin in 2021 and went on to receive a First-Class Honours MSc in Modern and Contemporary Art History from the University of Edinburgh in 2025, where she was awarded the Baldwin Brown Prize for her dissertation. Rachael has worked in the Talbot Rice Gallery assisting with curatorial projects and has also acted as an exhibition co-ordinator for the exhibiting societies at the Royal Scottish Academy.

She has delivered research papers at Munster Technological University, and her writing has been featured in the Visual Artists Newssheet. Rachael’s curatorial research centres on the infrastructural conditions shaping contemporary artistic production.

Image 1: Rachael Gunning (Provost’s Curatorial Fellow).

Image 2: From Left to Right: Provost Linda Doyle; Rachael Gunning (Provost’s Curatorial Fellow); Dr Georgina Jackson (Director, The Douglas Hyde).

Photography by Evanna Devine.