merrion street

The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan TD, today (5 March 2018) welcomed President Baratta of the Venice Biennale to Ireland for the announcement of the plans of curators, Shelley McNamara and Yvonne Farrell of Grafton Architects for the 16th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice in 2018 (the ‘Biennale’). These two Irish architects have been honoured with the task of curating the central exhibition at the prestigious Venice Biennale in 2018 and developing the theme which will inform all national exhibitions.

Minister Madigan said:

“Ireland is truly honoured that Shelley McNamara and Yvonne Farrell of Grafton Architects, a highly regarded partnership of Irish architects are the first ever Irish architects to be selected as curators of La Biennale Architettura, the most important global platform for the exhibition of architecture. As they are the second only female curators of the La Biennale Architettura, their success is noteworthy and to be celebrated. Shelley and Yvonne have revealed a considered and strong proposal for their exhibition and the extensive list of Irish architects to be included reflects the significant international success of Irish architects, many of whom are at an early stage of their careers. This extent of Irish architectural talent making global waves is unprecedented.”

The theme ‘Freespace’, selected by curators, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara has a focus on the quality of space itself and has a generosity of spirit and sense of humanity at the core of architecture’s agenda.

Ireland’s national exhibition at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice is entitled “Free Market”. It will highlight the generosity, humanity and possibility in the common spaces of Ireland’s market towns whose marketplaces have undergone fundamental change in recent times. The project proposes to reclaim these places of interaction and community and to re-imagine the shared urban territory of the small town marketplace.

The team of co-curators behind the selection for Ireland's national presentation is made up of the a team of architects: Laurence Lord (AP+E), Orla Murphy (Custom), Jeffrey Bolhuis (AP+E), Jo Anne Butler (Culturstruction), Tara Kennedy (Culturstruction) and Miriam Delaney (DIT).