MARTHA is a new independent editorial platform that documents, critiques, and connects contemporary visual art across Ireland. As it launches, MARTHA will continually expand its editorial features and long-form writing toward its full ambition, building a trusted public record of the artists, institutions, and ideas shaping visual culture while fostering meaningful connections between Irish and international practices.
THE RADAR
An algorithm-free, selected exhibition directory and navigational guide to art shows, openings, and cultural events across Ireland.
52°39′55″N 8°37′26″W
Limerick
Alt-West / Alt-Thiar
Ormston House, Limerick
19 Sep – 14 Nov 2026
Resulting from a two-year investigation by artists Chris Dreier and Gary Farrelly, this multi-faceted exhibition explores "Alt West"—a fictitious territory mapping Limerick and the Mid-West as an epicentre of international networks, energy infrastructure, and Cold War logistics. Fusing real archival data with absurd bureaucratic fetishism, the show spans over a hundred postal artworks, a wall map, a "video love letter" to Limerick’s Brutalist Sarsfield House, and a six-track vinyl LP capturing local soundscapes. Essential viewing to reframe Irish modernity beyond the standard Celtic Tiger narrative.
53°21′00″N 06°15′37″W
Dublin
Hilma af Klint: Artist and Visionary
National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
15 Oct 2026 – 7 Feb 2027
Making its Irish debut, this major exhibition celebrates Swedish pioneer Hilma af Klint—one of Western art's first abstract visionaries. Decades ahead of her time, af Klint channeled spiritualism, science, and nature into radiant, emotionally charged canvases that remained largely hidden until the 1980s.
Curated by Janet McLean alongside the Hilma af Klint Foundation, the show pairs iconic masterpieces like The Swan and Altarpieces with intimate plant studies, early landscapes, and never-before-seen works. Essential viewing to experience the roots of modern abstraction.
54°16′00″N 8°29′00″W
Sligo
Cathy Wilkes
The Model, The Mall, Sligo
13 Sep 2026 – 17 Jan 2027
Featuring three new and recent Untitled installations (2019, 2024, and 2026) alongside paintings and sculptures, this major solo exhibition brings the introspective, seditious work of East Belfast-born artist Cathy Wilkes to The Model, Sligo. Known for her quiet, non-dualist installations that teeter at the edge of legibility, the former Venice Biennale representative (Britain, 2019; Scotland, 2005) presents a collection of potently direct figures and objects. A rare, essential survey of one of contemporary art's most singular voices.
FORECAST
Martha's editorial selection of early-career artists whose practices demonstrate exceptional promise. Developed in consultation with independent curators, writers and editors, FORECAST highlights artists shaping the future of contemporary visual culture in Ireland
COMING SOON
WORKING NOTES
The Questionnaire
Image: Colm Mac Athlaoich, Dove hands, 2026, oil on linen, 90 x 70 cm
MARTHA: What's an artwork, building, or design object you think about at least once a week?
Colm Mac Athlaoich: At the moment it has to be ‘Hotel Room’ by Edward Hopper at the Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid because I saw it recently and it has stayed with me. It manages to be representational and still satisfy a curious eye, I think it does it with such a sophisticated palette.
MARTHA’s Venue Index
A comprehensive directory listing Ireland's essential visual art spaces from premier national museums and academies to cutting-edge contemporary galleries. Each location can be clicked to explore venue details, exhibition focuses, and spaces dedicated to contemporary visual culture across the island.
The Bulletin
Pollock-Krasner Foundation
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation offers unrestricted grants of up to $50,000 (typically around $35,000) to professional visual artists working primarily in painting, sculpture, or works on paper who have a minimum of 10 exhibitions at professional venues within the last 10 years. Applications are accepted year-round on a rolling basis with a 9–12 month review timeline, but ineligible fields include photography, video, performance, craft, commercial art, AI art, and students seeking academic funding. To apply, submit an online application containing a cover letter, artist statement, CV, contact details for three references, and 10 high-quality digital images of recent work with an image list.
Pollock-Krasner Foundation
2027-28 NYC Open Call
apexartAccepting 500-word proposals for group exhibitions presented at apexart in 2027-28. Five winning exhibitions receive up to 10K budget. All with a compelling group exhibition idea are encouraged to apply.
Deadline: October 31, 2026
Postcards From the Edge
Donate one original 4 × 6 artwork. Every work is exhibited anonymously and sold for $100 to support Visual AIDS — and the artist’s identity is revealed only after purchase.
Deadline: November 20, 2026
A Benefit for Visual AIDS