Technologies of Peace: Art and Transition in Contemporary Europe (1989-2026)

The Irish Museum of Modern Art opens one of its most substantial exhibitions of the decade on 12 September 2026 - a wide-ranging show that asks what art actually does in the aftermath of conflict. Technologies of Peace: Art and Transition in Contemporary Europe (1989-2026) draws a direct line between Ireland’s own political journey and those of other European nations that moved from division and violence toward democratic stability. It is the kind of exhibition that rewards slow looking and rewards return visits, which is fortunate given it runs all the way through to May 2027.

What to expect

The show centres on works from the IMMA Collection, with key pieces by Willie Doherty, Frances Hegarty, Alastair MacLennan, Cathy Wilkes, and Sandra Johnston - artists whose practices have long engaged with memory, identity, and the texture of post-conflict life. Alongside the collection works, IMMA’s Dwell Here residency programme feeds into the exhibition, with artists including Amanda Dunsmore and Eoghan Ryan contributing perspectives shaped by time spent working within the institution.

The curatorial framing is genuinely ambitious: rather than presenting peace as a settled condition, the exhibition treats it as something produced - through practice, through cultural expression, through deliberate acts of remembrance and renewal. The 1989 to 2026 timespan takes in the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Good Friday Agreement, and the decades of fragile, contested normality that followed across the continent.

Expect painting, video, sculpture, and social-practice work. Expect pieces that do not offer easy comfort. The accompanying public programme - talks, screenings, workshops - extends the conversation well beyond the gallery walls throughout the run.

Getting there

IMMA sits within the grounds of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on Military Road, Dublin 8 - a 17th-century building that is worth the visit in its own right. The most straightforward public transport option is the Luas Red Line to Heuston Station, which leaves an 8-minute walk to the museum entrance. Several Dublin Bus routes also serve the Kilmainham area from the city centre. If you are driving, there is paid parking on site. The grounds themselves - 48 acres with a sculpture trail and meadow - are free to enter every day.

While you’re in Dublin

Kilmainham is one of the most historically loaded parts of the capital, with the Kilmainham Gaol museum and the War Memorial Gardens both within a short walk of IMMA. There is more to see in Dublin and across Co. Dublin.

Good to know

• Date: Opens 12 September 2026; runs to 9 May 2027
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday and bank holidays 12pm - 5pm; closed Mondays (except bank holidays)
• Price: Free
• Booking: No booking required for the main exhibition; check imma.ie for accompanying talks and events which may require separate registration
• Accessibility: The site is fully accessible with lifts in every building and adapted toilets throughout the campus