The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, Catherine Martin T.D. has announced the selection of artist, Isabel Nolan, with Georgina Jackson and The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art as the curator, to represent Ireland at the 61st Venice Art Biennale in 2026.
\nThe Venice Biennale is one of the most important international platforms for visual arts, attracting over half a million visitors, including global curators, gallerists, art critics, and artists. The selection of the team to represent Ireland was made following an open, competitive process, with international jury members.<\/p>\n
Minister Martin, said:
\n\u201cI would like to congratulate Isabel Nolan, Georgina Jackson and The Douglas Hyde Gallery on being selected to represent Ireland at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale. Isabel Nolan is recognised to be at the forefront of Irish visual arts practice. Participation at the Venice Art Biennale increases awareness of Ireland\u2019s strong visual arts sector; it is also an important moment in an artist\u2019s career. My Department, through Culture Ireland, commissions Ireland at Venice in partnership with the Arts Council.\u201d<\/p>\n
Artist Isabel Nolan\u2019s exhibitions are rooted in big subjects: cosmology and deep history; religion and mythology; mortality and love. Working across sculpture, textiles, paintings, drawings, photography and writing, Nolan responds to the fundamental question of how humans bring the world into meaning. Her work has a remarkable capacity to speak to audiences, looking for ways to like, or even love, the complex world we\u2019ve made. In 2027, this work will return to Ireland on a national tour, supported by the Arts Council, in a variety of venues across the island.<\/p>\n
The selected artist, Isabel Nolan said:
\n\u201cTo represent Ireland in any sphere of cultural activity is a great privilege. To have my work in congregation with so many other artists is a rare opportunity; as is the occasion to reach such large audiences there, and at home with the national tour. Venice is an extraordinary city and to have the great fortune to realise this ambitious project with curator Georgina Jackson of The Douglas Hyde and producer Cian O\u2019Brien is very exciting. Art has a strange and special capacity to make and test powerful kinds of community with shared knowledge and beauty, however temporary. The Venice Biennial is a stage like no other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Curator Georgina Jackson said:
\n\u201cArtist Isabel Nolan is a leading light of contemporary Irish visual art. The Venice Biennale is an incredible platform to spotlight both her work and the vibrancy of Irish contemporary visual art, and connect to far reaching audiences. Showing Isabel\u2019s work in Venice is a powerful proposition; motifs that recur in her work include arches, fallen chandeliers, surging waves and dying suns\u2013 imagery which will resonate dramatically in the Arsenale. I am honoured and excited to work with Isabel, producer Cian O\u2019Brien, the team at The Douglas Hyde, Culture Ireland and The Arts Council to deliver Ireland at Venice 2026, and build on the legacy of successful previous pavilions.”<\/p>\n
T\u00e1 f\u00f3gartha ag an Aire Turas\u00f3ireachta, Cult\u00fair, Eala\u00edon, Gaeltachta, Sp\u00f3irt agus Me\u00e1n, Catherine Martin, T.D., gur roghna\u00edodh an t-eala\u00edont\u00f3ir Isabel Nolan, le
\nGeorgina Jackson agus The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art mar l\u00e9iritheoir, chun ionada\u00edocht a dh\u00e9anamh ar \u00c9irinn ag 61\u00fa Biennale Eala\u00edne na Vein\u00e9ise in 2026.<\/p>\n
T\u00e1 Biennale na Vein\u00e9ise ar cheann de na hard\u00e1in idirn\u00e1isi\u00fanta is t\u00e1bhachta\u00ed do na hamharc-eala\u00edona, a mheallann os cionn leathmhilli\u00fan cuairteoir, ar a n-\u00e1ir\u00edtear l\u00e9iritheoir\u00ed idirn\u00e1isi\u00fanta, lucht na nd\u00e1nlann, criticeoir\u00ed eala\u00edne, agus eala\u00edont\u00f3ir\u00ed. Roghna\u00edodh foireann ionada\u00edochta na h\u00c9ireann i ndiaidh pr\u00f3isis ioma\u00edoch oscailte le molt\u00f3ir\u00ed idirn\u00e1isi\u00fanta.<\/p>\n
D\u00fairt an tAire Martin:
\n\u201cBa mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas a ghabh\u00e1il le Isabel Nolan, Georgina Jackson agus The Douglas Hyde Gallery as a bheith roghnaithe chun ionada\u00edocht a dh\u00e9anamh ar \u00c9irinn ag Biennale Eala\u00edne na Vein\u00e9ise 2026. T\u00e1 aitheantas ar Isabel Nolan mar eala\u00edont\u00f3ir ar th\u00fas cadhna\u00edochta i gcleachtas amharc-eala\u00edon na h\u00c9ireann. M\u00e9ada\u00edtear feasacht ar earn\u00e1il l\u00e1idir amharc-eala\u00edon na h\u00c9ireann tr\u00ed rannph\u00e1irt\u00edocht in Biennale Eala\u00edne na Vein\u00e9ise; is pointe t\u00e1bhachtach i ngairm eala\u00edont\u00f3ra \u00e9. D\u00e9anann mo Roinn, tr\u00ed Chult\u00far \u00c9ireann, \u00c9ire sa Vein\u00e9is a choimisi\u00fan\u00fa i gcomhar leis an gComhairle Eala\u00edon.\u201d<\/p>\n
T\u00e1 taispe\u00e1ntais an eala\u00edont\u00f3ra Isabel Nolan fr\u00e9amhaithe in \u00e1bhair mh\u00f3ra: an chosmeola\u00edocht agus an stair dhomhain; an reiligi\u00fan agus an mhiotaseola\u00edocht; an b\u00e1s agus an gr\u00e1. Agus \u00ed ag obair sa dealbh\u00f3ireacht, teicst\u00edl\u00ed, picti\u00fair, l\u00edn\u00edochta\u00ed, an ghrianghrafad\u00f3ireacht agus an scr\u00edbhneoireacht, tugann Nolan aghaidh ar cheisteanna faoi conas br\u00ed a chur sa domhain. T\u00e1 cumas iontach ag saothar s\u2019aici dul i dteagmh\u00e1il leis an phobal, agus iad ag iarraidh beala\u00ed a aimsi\u00fa chun taitneamh a bhaint as an domhan chasta at\u00e1 cruthaithe againn, n\u00f3 fi\u00fa gr\u00e1 a bheith acu d\u00f3. In 2027, tiocfaidh an saothar seo ar ais go h\u00c9irinn ar chamchuairt n\u00e1isi\u00fanta, arna tac\u00fa ag an Chomhairle Eala\u00edon, in ionaid \u00e9ags\u00fala ar fud an oile\u00e1in.<\/p>\n
D\u00fairt an t-eala\u00edont\u00f3ir a roghna\u00edodh, Isabel Nolan:
\n\u201cIs pribhl\u00e9id mh\u00f3r \u00ed ionada\u00edocht a dh\u00e9anamh ar \u00c9irinn i r\u00e9imse ar bith den ghn\u00edomha\u00edocht chult\u00fartha. Is deis annamh \u00ed mo shaothar a bheith ar taispe\u00e1int in \u00e9ineacht leis an iliomad eala\u00edont\u00f3ir\u00ed eile; chomh maith leis an tseans chun dul i dteagmh\u00e1il le pobail mh\u00f3ra ansin, agus sa bhaile leis an chamchuairt n\u00e1isi\u00fanta.
\nCathair iontach \u00ed an Vein\u00e9is agus t\u00e1 m\u00e9 ar b\u00eds go bhfuil an t-\u00e1dh m\u00f3r liom gur f\u00e9idir liom an tionscadal uaillmhianach seo a thabhairt chun cr\u00edche leis an l\u00e9iritheoir Georgina Jackson \u00f3n Douglas Hyde agus an l\u00e9iritheoir Cian O\u2019Brien. T\u00e1 an cumas ait agus speisialta ag an eala\u00edn cine\u00e1lacha cumhachtacha pobal a chruth\u00fa agus a th\u00e1st\u00e1il le heolas agus \u00e1illeacht chomhroinnte, is cuma c\u00e9 chomh sealadach agus at\u00e1 siad. Is st\u00e1itse \u00e9 Biennale na Vein\u00e9ise nach bhfuil a sh\u00e1r\u00fa ann.\u201d<\/p>\n
D\u00fairt an l\u00e9iritheoir Georgina Jackson:
\n\u201cIs duine de mh\u00f3r-r\u00e9alta\u00ed amharc-eala\u00edona comhaimseartha na h\u00c9ireann \u00ed an t-eala\u00edont\u00f3ir Isabel Nolan. Is ard\u00e1n dochreidte \u00e9 Biennale na Vein\u00e9ise chun b\u00e9im a leagan ar a saothar agus ar bheocht amharc-eala\u00edona comhaimseartha na h\u00c9ireann araon, agus chun ceangal a dh\u00e9anamh le pobail fhairsinge. Is fiontar cumhachtach \u00e9 saothar Isabel a l\u00e9iri\u00fa sa Vein\u00e9is; i measc na m\u00f3it\u00edfeanna a thagann an\u00edos go minic ina saothar t\u00e1 \u00e1irs\u00ed, crainn solais thite, tonnta ag \u00e9ir\u00ed t\u00f3gtha agus grianta ag dul in \u00e9ag \u2013 \u00edomh\u00e1nna a bheidh an-chumhachtach san Arsenale. Is m\u00f3r an on\u00f3ir agus \u00e1bhar scleondar dom a bheith in ann oibri\u00fa le Isabel, an l\u00e9iritheoir Cian O\u2019Brien, foireann The Douglas Hyde, Cult\u00far \u00c9ireann agus an Chomhairle Eala\u00edon chun \u00c9ire sa Vein\u00e9is 2026 a chur chun cr\u00edche, agus chun cur le hoidhreacht na pailli\u00fain rath\u00fala a tharla roimhe seo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Image credits: (L to R) Emma Moore, Curator Georgina Jackson, Artist Isabel Nolan, Producer Cian O\u2019Brien, Niamh Darling and Rachel McIntyre at The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art, Dublin, 2024. Photo: Ste Murray.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, Catherine Martin T.D. has announced the selection of artist, Isabel Nolan, with Georgina Jackson and The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art as the curator, to represent Ireland at the 61st Venice Art Biennale in 2026. The Venice Biennale is one of the most important… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":2852,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-uncategorised"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n