Galway's first ever design-led boutique hotel, The Dean Galway is delighted to announce its
support of Galway International Arts Festival’s Festival Gallery.
Galway's first ever design-led boutique hotel, The Dean Galway is delighted to announce its support of Galway International Arts Festival’s Festival Gallery. GIAF is returning to the Festival Gallery again at William Street, which has been reconfigured and reimaged for GIAF 2022.
The centre-piece of this year’s visual arts programme at the festival, the Festival Gallery will this year play host to a new installation from Ana Maria Pacheco, who wowed audiences at GIAF 2017 and will no doubt attract huge numbers again this year. This powerful solo exhibition by the Brazilian–born artist features a new multi-figure polychrome wood installation, Remember, created especially for the festival.
The exhibition will also include four earlier groups: Shadows of the Wanderer, 2008 [pictured] and Some Exercise of Power, 1980–1985, which is the overall title for three early sculptural groups – Some Exercise of Power [1980], Acrobats [1983] and The Banquet [1985]. Pacheco’s work deals with issues of control and the exercise of power and looks unflinchingly upon the perilous world people encounter as they strive for a better life. Pacheco looks fearlessly into the dark heart of humanity and seeks out the light. She encourages the viewer to get close to her figures and exploits the respective scale of each to challenge the audience’s physical and moral equilibrium.
Pacheco has lived and worked in England since 1973 and in 1997 she was both the first non–European and the first sculptor to be appointed artist in residence at the National Gallery London [1997–2000].
The Dean Galway launched in April 2022, as part of The Dean family which came to life in 2014 with a 52 bedroom hotel, Sophie’s Rooftop Restaurant and dedicated events space on Dublin’s Harcourt Street. Created by up and coming hospitality group Press Up Hospitality, The Dean Galway offers design-led, high spec rooms at affordable prices right in the Centre of Galway City, all served up with modern, genuine Irish hospitality by people who love their city.
The Dean Galway extends its footprint outside of the capital, maintaining its position as Galway's first ever design led, premier boutique hotel in 2022. Cian O’Broin, General Manager of The Dean Galway notes: “Art is a huge focus at The Dean Galway; there are stunning pieces from local artists Shane O’Malley, Joan Finnegan and Tory Irvine to name a few on view throughout the hotel. Each guest bedroom also has a unique piece of Irish artwork selected to match the light and style of each room. Given our strong alignment to the arts and the strong contribution that GIAF brings to Galway City, The Dean Galway is proud to support this year's Festival Gallery.”
John Crumlish, CEO, Galway International Arts Festival said: “The Press-Up group have developed a strong connection with the visual arts in Ireland and we are delighted that this connection has now been extended to include the Festival. The Festival Gallery is a hugely important venue for GIAF and forms a key part of its free programme. The Dean Galway partnership helps make that programme possible.”
