The International Centre for the Image is a groundbreaking cultural institution in Dublin Docklands, launched by PhotoIreland with support from Kennedy Wilson and the Arts Council of Ireland. It redefines the role of image-making in contemporary society—both still and moving—and connects Ireland’s visual arts scene with global artistic discourse.
This ecologically mindful, purpose-built venue consolidates over 15 years of PhotoIreland’s initiatives into one dynamic home. It is informed by values of equality, fairness, and representation—avoiding the limitations of traditional museum models.
The centre’s mission is informed by PhotoIreland’s three strategic pillars:
- Artists – nurturing artistic development through studio spaces, production support, and residencies, in addition to public-facing endeavours.
- Artform – embracing the ever-expanding boundaries of photographic and image-based practices, inclusive of video, installation, VR, artists’ books, and more.
- Audiences – engaging local and international visitors through ambitious exhibitions, research, learning, and public programming.
The Centre is conceptually as well as architecturally arranged around four interlocking core areas of arts practice: Research (Art Library & Archive), Production (Atelier & Artist Studios), Exhibition, and Storage & Conservation.
The International Centre for the Image: looking into the future.
Officially launched in July 2025 at the Coopers Cross campus, the Centre marks a new milestone for cultural partnership in Ireland. It aims to secure long-term sustainability, including accreditation through the Heritage Council’s Museum Standards Programme.
The exciting first exhibition at the centre, Foreword, highlighted works from 17 artists representing a broad set of art practices around photography and teased out the curatorial issues to which the centre is dedicated. This inaugural show included both moving and still-image artists: Abigail O’Brien, Alan Butler, Alex Prager, Ana Zibelnik and Jakob Ganslmeier, Anna Ehrenstein, Anna Safiatou Touré, Basil Al-Rawi, Bassam Issa Al-Sabah and Jennifer Mehigan, Colin Martin, David Farrell, Dominic Hawgood, Eamonn Doyle, Jean Curran, Mishka Henner, and Penelope Umbrico.
About PhotoIreland
Since 2010, PhotoIreland has been an arts organisation supporting photography and the visual arts, dedicated to stimulating a critical dialogue around photography in Ireland and to internationally promoting the work of Irish-based artists. PhotoIreland is a key constituent of the arts and culture sector in Ireland, working to ensure local audiences benefit from a healthy arts ecosystem and providing frequent professional development opportunities to artists.
Best known for its annual event in Dublin, the PhotoIreland Festival, the organisation enjoys today a diverse portfolio of projects that range from events such as print and book fairs to running a charismatic art bookshop in buzzing Temple Bar, producing the photography publication OVER Journal, running artists’ residencies, and much more. Beyond Ireland, the organisation has developed constructive channels with a strong network of organisations worldwide, most relevantly through Creative Europe co-funded platforms such as FUTURES.
For any enquiries about PhotoIreland and the International Centre for the Image, please write to office@image.museum
