Press release 14/6/2017

National Gallery of Ireland reopens its historic wings after extensive refurbishment and modernisation.

An Taoiseach , Enda Kenny TD, this morning (Wednesday June 14th) was joined by the Minister for Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohue TD, and the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD, to perform the official opening of the newly refurbished National Gallery of Ireland on Merrion Square.

Today, Wednesday June 14th 2017, marks the official reopening of the National Gallery of Ireland following a period of extensive refurbishment and modernisation of its historic wings on Merrion Square. The beautifully transformed spaces in the Dargan and Milltown Wings open to the public on Thursday June 15th with an entirely new presentation of the celebrated permanent collection, featuring paintings by Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Ruisdael, Vermeer, Gainsborough, Goya, Monet, Gris and Picasso. The Gallery will also display its prestigious collection of Irish art with works by Daniel Maclise, Roderic O’Conor, John Lavery, William Orpen, Seán Keating, Gerard Dillon, Evie Hone, Norah McGuinness, Jack B. Yeats, Louis le Brocquy and William Scott. 

This multimillion-euro refurbishment project has been carried out by the Office of Public Works’ Project Management Services, with architects Heneghan Peng as the Design Team Leaders. The project is co-funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the National Gallery of Ireland, and the Office of Public Works.

An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD:
“Over 150 years after its establishment, the National Gallery has grown into an institution of international renown and a building of significant cultural importance to Ireland. I am delighted that today, my last official duty as Taoiseach is to officially open the stunningly refurbished Dargan and Milltown Wings, which combines the historical origins of the National Gallery with its vision for the future, and will ensure the utility and beauty of this national resource for generations to come.

“It is appropriate that we here today to honour and celebrate our National Gallery and our national collections in this time where culture is coming to the fore of our minds in the context of the fantastic work being done through the Creative Ireland programme.  There is a continued and growing recognition that culture is what we are and what we need to focus on as a diverse, creative, multi-cultural, welcoming and forward-looking society. We have evolved from a land of Saints and Scholars to a land of Culture and Creativity. I look forward to the newly restored National Gallery of Ireland being recognised as one of Europe’s foremost cultural institutions.”

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD:
“Increased investment in our cultural infrastructure is one of the key commitments in the Creative Ireland Programme. The Government recognises that high quality infrastructure is critical for a vibrant arts and cultural sector and, furthermore, that investment in cultural infrastructure contributes to social cohesion and economic growth. High quality cultural institutions also add to the cultural life of the nation and allow members of the public to engage with and explore contemporary culture and historic artworks. 
 
“The previous Fine Gael-led Government took the decision to invest significantly in the National Gallery in early 2013, at a time when the public finances were still in a fragile state. It was a very strong statement of the Government’s belief in the importance of the arts, culture and creativity. The project created hundreds of jobs during the construction phase and the completed refurbishment of the historic wings of the National Gallery has transformed it into a world class exhibition space, about which we can all be very proud. As well as being a huge addition to Ireland’s cultural infrastructure, the newly refurbished Gallery will also add greatly to Dublin’s tourism offering.” 
 
Central to the modernisation work of these beautiful 19th-century buildings has been the construction of a state-of-the-art underground energy centre housing vital services for the entire Gallery. Original nineteenth-century architectural features and spaces are revealed and majestic windows now open onto a spacious light-filled courtyard created by Heneghan Peng. This new courtyard dramatically enhances visitors’ orientation between the historic Dargan and Milltown wings. It is also the site for a dramatic sculpture, Magnus Modus, by Joseph Walsh, commissioned by the Office of Public Works on behalf of the National Gallery of Ireland under the Per Cent for Art Scheme.

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD:
“This completed project represents the largest single refurbishment of the National Gallery since it first opened its doors in 1864. The National Gallery can now take its place among the world’s finest galleries, with expanded exhibition space and international quality standards to safeguard its collections. The refurbishment of the Milltown and Dargan wings has not only increased the exhibition space, it has also allowed for the protection and preservation of the historic building itself, and I have no doubt that it will prove enormously popular with members of the public and visiting tourists. 
 
“The National Gallery of Ireland is an essential partner in the Creative Ireland Programme, which commits to further investment in our cultural institutions in the years ahead. Creative Ireland aims to promote individual, community and national wellbeing through cultural engagement. The newly expanded and refurbished National Gallery will house some of the finest international and Irish art and I hope, particularly through its engagement and outreach programmes, it will be a home of learning and a source of inspiration for the next generation of young Irish artists.”
 
The period of refurbishment also allowed for an extensive survey of the Gallery’s permanent collection. More than 450 works have undergone conservation and research. The most spectacular of these is Daniel Maclise’s The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife (1854), which, after an ambitious conservation and research project, supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, has been preserved for future generations and returned to the elegant surrounds of the Shaw Room in the Dargan Wing.

Chair of the Board of Governors and Guardians, National Gallery of Ireland, Michael Cush:
“The refurbishment project has been a great success. We kept our doors open to the public throughout the lifetime of this project, and, remarkably, with over 80% of its galleries closed during that period, we attracted attendances of over 700,000 annually. We are indebted to our visitors for their patience and support throughout, to the Office of Public Works and design team, led by Heneghan Peng, and our parent Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. This project begins a vibrant new chapter in the Gallery’s future. We anticipate many visitors from Ireland and abroad to view our new presentation of the permanent collection and attend our exciting programme of exhibitions and public events. 

Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, Sean Rainbird: 
“The Gallery and its staff can be immensely proud with this achievement. We have had much support from many partners and wish to share this success with everyone involved in this magnificent project.”

 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Reopening of the National Gallery of Ireland
On Thursday June 15th the refurbished National Gallery of Ireland reopens to the public. Admission is free to the permanent collection.
Later the same week, the Gallery will present the highly anticipated exhibition, Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry, from Saturday 17 June. Advance ticket booking is now open www.nationalgallery.ie 
Inspiration for the Nation
#inspirethenation
#NationalGalleryIRL

Opening Exhibition
Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry
17 June – 17 September 2017
Proudly Supported by Zurich Insurance plc, Exhibition Partner
Tickets €15 & €10 concessions. Free for Friends of NGI. 
Ticket Booking: www.nationalgallery.ie 
Accompanying catalogue is published by Yale University Press in association with the National Gallery of Ireland
#VermeerDublin