The First Draft - Rich Gilligan, Curated by Linda Shevlin for Amharc Fhine Gall, 13th Edition
Join us for a tour of Draíocht current exhibition The First Draft with artist Rich Gilligan. A professional development day for students and art graduates.
Join us for a tour of Draíocht current exhibition The First Draft with artist Rich Gilligan. A professional development day for students and art graduates.
There will be talks following the tour exploring curating photography and the process of designing photo books with the Artist Rich Gilligan, Curator Linda Shevlin and Designer David Smith. The tour and talk will take place on Wednesday 9th of April from 12pm-3pm. Tickets are free but pre booking is essential.
The exhibition opened by Cllr Mary McCamley on Wednesday 19th February 2025 at 7pm, with Special Guest, Photographer Ken Grant. The exhibition will be open on the Ground floor Gallery, Draíocht Blanchardstown until Saturday 3rd of May 2025.
Fingal County Council Arts Office in collaboration with Draíocht, is delighted to present this 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."
First Draft:
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.
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.
To reserve a ticket for the professional development tour and talk, please see: The First Draft - Tour & Talk | Draíocht Blanchardstown
For more information about The First Draft and Amharc Fhine Gall, please see: The First Draft - Rich Gilligan | Draíocht Blanchardstown
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