Artistic Responses
Artistic responses are an important part of how we tell the story of 14 Henrietta Street. We invite artists to develop creative responses to the museum’s collection, to make connections and retell the stories of the lives of those who called 14 Henrietta Street home.
Our artists in residence engage with the museum’s collection, which includes the building itself, physical artefacts and oral histories collected through the Your Tenement Memories programme. By listening and talking with the museum team, former residents, visitors and the local community, the artists in residence make new works that respond to the memories and knowledge of others.
Our Approach
Our artistic responses are process-led and are shaped by the museum’s engagement based approach. Artists connect with visitors, schools, local community groups and our Culture Club programme, sharing their ideas and creative processes as they develop. These conversations are central to how artists respond to the museum, allowing them to reflect on and respond to the stories, memories, and experiences of others. The process of responding is not only about making new work, but about listening, observing and building connections.
Some artists create finished artworks, while for others, research, observation, and engagement are just as important. By working in this way, artists uncover new connections between the building, its objects, and the people who lived there. This also creates opportunities for people to see the artistic process in action which offers new ways into the museum for those who may not usually connect with traditional museum spaces.
Artistic Responses
Artistic responses have been part of the development of 14 Henrietta Street from the beginning. Before the museum opened, artists were invited to respond to the building and explore how its stories could be experienced and shared.
Since opening in 2018, the museum has continued to work with artists through residencies, commissions, and open calls. These artistic responses have included poetry, photography, site-specific theatre, printmaking, textile art, and lace-making. Each project offers a different way of engaging with the house and contributes to how its stories are told.
Previous residencies:
2013 and 2017 - Site Specific Theatre
Site-specific theatre pieces by ANU were commissioned by Dublin City Council in 2013 and 2017.
2016 and 2019 - Audio Tour (mix of artistic disciplines)
An audio tour, Blue Blue Walls, by artists Sonya Kelly, Shaun Dunne and Paula Meehan, produced and directed by Róise Goan, went on to be part of Dublin Theatre Festival in 2019. Sound design was by Carl Kennedy, with additional sound design by Brendan Rehill for Red Hare Media. Historical research was by Ellen Rowley.
2017 - Poetry
The sonnet This Bed This Raft on Stormy Seas was commissioned as a short film played during the 14 Henrietta Street tour. The English language version is voiced by Paula Meehan with music by Colm Mac Con Iomaire. It was produced by Charles Duggan and Róise Goan and filmed by Arcade Film Ltd. The Irish language version is voiced by Doireann Ní Ghríofa and translated by Theo Dorgan.
2019 - Poetry and Photography
Renowned Irish poet, Paula Meehan and award-winning photographer, Dragana Jurišić join forces to create a book celebrating the varied history of, and the lives lived in, 14 Henrietta Street. The result is ‘MUSEUM’, a 68-page book, featuring 11 sonnets inspired by the house, with accompanying photography taken in and from the house. Both Paula’s words and Dragana’s photography beautifully capture the story of the building and the lives lived in it.
2024 - Art, architecture and conservation
Julie Merriman is a visual artist who works with drawing, with a particular focus on how it relates to architecture and engineering. Julie responded to the history and conservation of the building itself, engaging with the architect Grainne Shaffrey to explore the award-winning approach to ‘support, recover, and hold’ various aspects of the house. The outcome was a series of prints made using a Mimeograph, an obsolete stencil and ink print technology.
2024 and 2025 - Textiles, women, and community
Orlagh Meegan-Gallagher, a visual and textiles artist, created an artwork to remember the lives of the women who lived in Georgian Dublin, in Dublin's tenement buildings and particularly in 14 Henrietta Street. The result is a nine foot long tapestry of fabrics worn by the women of the house or fabrics used in their homes. The artwork has also been stitched by visitors to the museum, tour guides and children from a local primary school.
2025 and 2026 - Lacemaking, stories and objects
In 2025, Fiona Harrington, a visual artist who works with handmade lace, responded directly to the collection and fabric of 14 Henrietta Street, creating new lace artworks inspired by the building’s textures, histories, and objects. Fiona engaged with community groups, visitors, and the museum team, sharing Irish lacemaking processes while uncovering the stories and memories of 14 Henrietta Street.
Artistic responses are a core part of how 14 Henrietta Street works. They enhance how the museum presents its stories and how people experience them. The museum is always learning, researching, and developing its understanding of the house, and artists play an important role in this process by contributing new insights and approaches.
The museum is committed to continuing this work, developing new collaborations with artists and creating further opportunities for people to connect with the building and its history.
Made by Dublin City Council Culture Company