Two of Henry's outdoor sculptures will remain in place and feature as part of Galway's Culture Night on Friday 18 September.
Sean Henry’s exhibition Presence brought his powerful and evocative sculptures to Galway in July, becoming one of the most visited exhibitions in Galway International Arts Festival’s history, with more than 30,000 people visiting the exhibition at the An Post Festival Gallery. Two outdoor works from the exhibition - The Wanderer in Eyre Square and Seated Figure on the Middle Pier, Claddagh - have remained in place since the Festival and will feature as part of Galway’s Culture Night on Friday 18 September 2026, offering audiences a final opportunity to encounter these remarkable works in the heart of the city.
Paul Fahy, Artistic Director of Galway International Arts Festival, said: “We were absolutely delighted by the extraordinary response to Sean Henry’s Presence in July. It is wonderful that The Wanderer and Seated Figure have remained in Galway and will feature as part of Culture Night, giving audiences a final opportunity to experience these remarkable sculptures before they leave the city, and to see how they transform and inhabit Galway’s public spaces.
Sculptor Sean Henry is internationally renowned for his quietly monumental figures, which transform the everyday into something uncanny and deeply human. Working at unexpected scales and with subtly altered proportions, his sculptures capture solitary men and women in moments of pause, vulnerability and reflection, inviting viewers to look closely, and to recognise themselves.
Known for landmark public works, Henry’s practice explores isolation, resilience and the emotional texture of modern life. At once intimate and monumental, this exhibition offers a powerful encounter with the poetry of being human.
