Fingal Arts Office announce new exhibition by Dublin 15 photographer Rich Gilligan at Draíocht

Fingal County Council Arts Office, in collaboration with Draíocht, is delighted to announce a new exhibition from photographer Rich Gilligan for the 13th edition of Amharc Fhine Gall.

Amharc Fhine Gall (The Fingal Gaze) supports ambitious new artworks from Fingal artists at all stages of their career. This exhibition programme was initiated in 2004 by Fingal County Council Arts Office, in collaboration with Draíocht, to celebrate the wealth of artistic talent in the county.

Sarah O'Neill, Fingal County Council Arts Officer commented:

"The purpose of the Amharc Fhine Gall commission is to provide a platform to a Fingal artist to develop ambitious new work and support experimentation. At every point in their career, it is essential for an artist to have both space and time in order to expand and strengthen their practice. Rich has utilised the award to explore new ideas and push his photographic practice in a new direction. This exhibition ‘The First Draft’ embodies the spirit of the Amharc Fhine Gall Award and I wish him continued success."

The First Draft is an artistic homecoming, bringing internationally influenced work back to the roots of Gilligan's creative journey and offers a contemplative look at the themes of belonging, identity and coming of age in suburbia.

The exhibition revisits Gilligan's early projects created around Blanchardstown which are presented as non-sequential vignettes exploring the complex relationship we often hold with the places that shape us, inviting audiences to experience a dialogue between past and present. Still and moving image installations will transport visitors into the rich tapestry of life within subcultures, where transient moments explore the process of coming of age.

Each piece, whether revisiting past work or presenting fresh perspectives, serves as a personal yet universally resonant meditation on how our environments shape our outlooks and identities.

“On returning to live in Ireland in 2021, I began to revisit early photography and video work, to consolidate ideas about the place that shaped me. With the sentient clarity that homecoming can bring, I approached questions around narrative, memory and how photography, video and sound might conspire to relate these things well.” Rich Gilligan

Curated by Linda Shevlin, this exhibition marks an evolution in Gilligan’s practice, as he explores ‘expanded photography’ - a technique that pushes the boundaries of traditional image-making and presentation. Through these experimental, site-specific interventions, the show challenges viewers to rethink photography’s role in storytelling.

A true celebration of Blanchardstown and beyond, this exhibition is an invitation to reflect on the places that hold our roots, and how they resonate across generations and geographies.

The First Draft is accompanied by an outreach project for young people in Dublin 15 exploring identity.