Exhibition of photography: ‘Territorial Troubles Contested Realities in Northern Ireland’
A new exhibition of photography and multimedia highlighting how the violent legacy of the Troubles still overshadows contemporary life in Northern Ireland, twenty years after the Good Friday Agreement.
The exhibition, Territorial Troubles Contested Realities in Northern Ireland featuring both photography and film, aims to raise awareness of the history of the Troubles in a year that will see the United Kingdom leave the European Union, potentially putting the Irish peace agreement into jeopardy.
A selection of 21 photographs show some of the most powerful images of the Troubles by Magnum photographers Abbas, Bruno Barbey, Ian Berry, Stuart Franklin, Leonard Freed, Philip Jones-Griffiths and Chris Steele-Perkins.
The photographs are selected from the new edition of Magnum Ireland, a book first published in 2005, now reprinted with an updated chapter on the 2010s.
Featuring interviews with women and men detained or working in some of the most infamous prisons during the Troubles, such as Armagh Gaol, the Maze and Long Kesh, the installation recalls memories from these traumatic times.
Brigitte Lardinois, director of the photography and research centre (PARC) at London College of Communication, UAL and co-curator of Territorial Troubles, said: “We hope this exhibition will inform visitors as to the reality of life during the Troubles, while serving as a timely reminder of just how recent, and significant, the cessation of hostilities was.
“Britain’s decision to leave the European Union has enormous consequences for both Northern Ireland and the Republic, particularly regarding the peace process. The murder of Belfast journalist Lyra McKee last year shows the fragility of this peace.
“This project is an opportunity to remind ourselves what is at stake, and the devastating impact that a revival of sectarianism can have.”
Exhibition ‘Territorial Troubles: Contested Realities in Northern Ireland’ will take place at London College of Communication, from 17 March to 19 June, free and open to the public.