My practice reflects on the act of making through geological and archaeological lenses. Using casting, carving and other sculptural processes, I engage with memory through situated encounters with landscape and architecture. My work makes formal reference to field sampling, built heritage and histories of display.

Through site-responsive and collaborative methodologies, my practice functions as a testing ground for agency and exchange, producing a sense of continuous entanglement among materials and their emergent correlations. Dust, sand, wax, glass, anthracite, volcanic matter, ink and muslin often converge within my installations, evoking a spectral presence through unfixed or provisional elements. Works allude to the studio as a geological site bound to processes of accumulation, accrual, removal and erasure.

I present staged arrangements whose forms are contingent on their sites of display. While existing within a concept of sculpture, they often pursue the convergence of pictorial planes, reflecting on the conditions of their own imagehood. Underpinned by a consideration of surface as a point of intense contact between the history and future of an object, such works act as material archives that capture residual aspects of sites, operating as semi-photographic indexes of the material world. I describe the resulting works as ‘relics in reverse.’

I live and work in Dublin. I am a Project Studio awardee at Temple Bar Gallery & Studios and a part-time lecturer at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. My work is held in the permanent collections of The Arts Council of Ireland, Trinity Centre for the Environment, and the Office of Public Works.

Supported by The Arts Council of Ireland.

Contact: studio@mariefarrington.com / farringtonm@staff.ncad.ie

Solo Exhibitions
2025 (Upcoming) Diagonal Acts, Act 3, Commonage Projects, London, UK
2025 (Upcoming) Diagonal Acts, Act 2, The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, IE
2025 (Upcoming) Diagonal Acts, Act 1, Kunstverein Aughrim, Wicklow, IE
2024 The Unseen Eyebeam Crossed, puntWG, Amsterdam, NL
2023 Glossaries for Forwardness, Museum Building, Trinity College Dublin, IE
2019 Fore, Fold, Pallas Projects, Dublin, IE
2017 These Circular Ruins, Illuminations Gallery, Maynooth University, IE
2015 In good faith they waited for gravity, Rua Red Arts Centre, IE
2014 Long Drawn, Eight Gallery Dublin, IE
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Two Person Shows
2022 FAULTS + FOLDS, with Amy Stephens, Oonagh Young Gallery Dublin, IE
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Public Commissions
2024 (In process) Guiding Light / Solas Treorach, permanent Percent for Art commission, Ardgillan Community College, Balbriggan, IE. Curated by Jennie Guy.
2023 Swim in the landscape, walk on the sea, permanent public sculpture, Skerries Art Trail, Dublin, IE. Commissioned by Fingal Arts Office.
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Selected Group Exhibitions
2025 (Upcoming) Imprints & Breadcrums, Odapark Centre for Contemporary Art, Venray, NL
2024 Strata, CCA Derry-Londonderry, NI
2023 Hammerheads, Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, IE
2022 (Ongoing) The Wave, Collecteurs: The Museum of Private Collections
2022 Plussing, Kunstenplatform WARP, Sint-Niklaas, BE
2022 Material Stories, Galerie Michaela Stock, Vienna, AT
2021 Woman in the Machine: From the Arts Council Collection, VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art
2021 Landscape Ecology Environment, Leitrim Sculpture Centre, IE
2019 A Vague Anxiety, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, IE
2019 Disruptors, Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda, IE
2018 Periodical Review # 8, Pallas Projects/Studios, Dublin, IE.
2018 Resort Revelations III, Lynders’ Mobile Home Park, Fingal Arts Office, IE
2018 Two Pieces Missing, SIḾ Gallery, Reykjavik, IS
2017 The Inaugural International Autonomous Biennale, Research Pavilion, Venice, IT
2015 Instincts, Santa Monica Studios, Los Angeles, USA
2015 Eígse, VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art
2015 /Glitch, Rua Red, South Dublin Arts Centre, IE
2014 Periodical Review # 4, Ormston House Limerick, IE
2014 COE ’14, Claremorris. Curated by Michelle Cotton, IE
2014 Stone Soup, The Sailor’s Home, Limerick, IE
2013 A Subtle Matter, Catalyst Arts, Belfast, NI
2013 Origins, Lismore Castle Arts, IE
2013 The Producers, South Circular Road Community Garden, Dublin, IE
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Education
2016 MA Art in the Contemporary World (1.1). National College of Art & Design, IE
2013 BA Fine Art (1.1). Dublin Institute -of Technology, IE
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Selected Residencies
2024- (Ongoing) Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, Dublin
2024 AtelierWG, Amsterdam, NL
2024 Ballinglen Arts Foundation Fellowship Programme, Co. Mayo, IE
2023 SEA Foundation, Tilburg, NL
2023- (Ongoing) Research Associate, CCA Derry-Londonderry, NI (2023-25)
2023 Dublin City Council Residential Spaces, Albert Cottages, Dublin, IE
2020 Trinity Centre for the Environment, Trinity College Dublin, IE (2020-22)
2018 Fire Station Artists’ Studios Residential Award, Dublin, IE (2018-22)
2018 SIḾ Residency, Reykjavik, IS
2018 RESORT Residency, Portrane, Fingal County Council, IE
2014 Stone Soup, The Sailor’s Home, Limerick, IE
2013 Basic Space Press: Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, IE
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Public Collections
Centre for the Environment, Trinity College Dublin
Arts Council of Ireland
OPW Irish State Art Collection
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Awards & Grants
2024 Visual Arts Project Award 2025 (Strand 3), Arts Council of Ireland, IE
2024. Regular Grant Scheme, Culture Ireland, IE
2024 Visual Arts Bursary Award, Arts Council of Ireland, IE
2024 Project Studio Award, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, Dublin, IE
2024 Visual Arts Project Award (Strand 1), Arts Council of Ireland, IE
2023 Agility Award, Arts Council of Ireland. IE
2022 Visual Arts Project Award (Strand 2), Arts Council of Ireland, IE
2022 Visual Arts Bursary Award, Arts Council of Ireland, IE
2021 Platform 31 Bursary Award, Kildare County Council, IE
2021 Agility Award, Arts Council of Ireland, IE
2021 Visual Arts Project Award (Strand 1), Arts Council of Ireland, IE
2020 Visual Arts Bursary Award, Arts Council Ireland of Ireland
2020 Print Award, Dublin City Council and Graphic Studios, IE
2018 Travel and Training Award, Arts Council of Ireland, IE
2017 Visual Arts Bursary Award, Arts Council of Ireland, IE
2015 Sculpture Award & Bursary, Fire Station Artists’ Studios, Dublin, IE
2014 Graduate Award and Bursary, RUA RED South Dublin Arts Centre, IE
2014 Visual Culture Postgraduate Scholarship, full tuition, National College of Art & Design, IE
2013 Gold Medal, Academic Excellence Award, Dublin Institute of Technology, IE
2013 Best Undergraduate Thesis Award, sponsored by Gandon Editions
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Selected Press
2023 In Focus: Glossaries for Forwardness, VAI Newsheet, July/Aug 2023 Edition
2023 Residency Response, SEA Foundation Tilburg, by Michaela Davidova
2022 The Wave in Retrospect, film & interview, Collecteurs: The Museum of Private Collections
2019 Essay: A Vague Anxiety, IMMA Magazine, by Sean Kissane
2019 Review: Fore, fold at Pallas Projects/Studios, Head Stuff, by Laura Woulfe
2019 Review: A Vague Anxiety, Sleek Magazine, by Kathryn O’Regan
2019 Review: Going Deeper into A Vague Anxiety, District Magazine
2018 Review: Periodical Review: A lively look at Irish contemporary art, Irish Times, Aidan Dunne
2013 Review: A Subtle Matter,Catalyst Arts Belfast, online, by Slavka Sverakova
2013 The BBC Arts Show, feature on Catalyst Arts and A Subtle Matter
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Selected Publications
2023 Glossaries for Forwardness, publication to accompany solo exhibition, with texts by Dr. Quentin Crowley, Marie Farrington and Anneka French, Trinity College Dublin, IE
2019 A Vague Anxiety Catalogue, with texts by Annie Fletcher, Sean Kissane, Benjamin Stafford, Poi Marr and Marie Farrington, Irish Museum of Modern Art, IE
2015 In good faith they waited for gravity, pamphlet published to accompany solo exhibition, with text by Eimear Walshe, Rua Red Arts Centre, IE
2013 Restating Location, Basic Space Press, Irish Museum of Modern Art, IE