'It Matters...' - a photographic exhibition by Julie Corcoran at Dundalk's Downtown Hub

The photographic exhibition 'It Matters…' features the innovative work of Julie Corcoran, marking one year since she received the Louth County Arts Office Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Bursary to develop her photographic art practice at the Creative Spark Darkroom.

Hosted at the Creative Spark Downtown Hub in Dundalk from Wednesday November 6th to December 2nd, this exhibition explores the intersection of photography, environment, and community, with a focus on sustainability, reuse, and connection.

Drawing inspiration from Donna J. Haraway’s words, “It matters what stories make worlds, what worlds make stories,” Julie Corcoran critically examines how photographic materials shape photographic practice and the stories told through images.

Her work responds to the environmental impact of photographic processes, from chemical image fixing to the resource-demanding shift to digital photography. 

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Julie’s exhibition showcases experimental prints made with low-toxic, eco-conscious image-making techniques.

Using Faughart’s Old Graveyard as inspiration, she incorporates plant-based developers, soil, and both holy and sea water into her photographic practice.

The resulting artworks—prints, cyanotype rags and soil chromatography—were created in collaboration with the local environment around Brigid’s Well, emphasising respectful engagement with place and process. 

A core element of 'It Matters…' is its collaborative spirit: Julie invited her online followers to donate unwanted photographic items that might otherwise be discarded.

These relics—expired film, lenses, prints, negatives, and even darkroom equipment—were repurposed and reimagined in new works, foregrounding themes of reuse and creative sustainability.

Julie Corcoran works out of Bó Studios, with longstanding support from An Táin Arts Centre, Louth County Arts Office, and the Arts Council of Ireland.

She is a member of both Creative Spark Print Studio and Darkroom, whose community ethos continues to shape her evolving artistic practice. 

Visitors are invited to reflect on what photographs can become—not only as objects but as agents of ecological awareness and transformation.

'It Matters…' challenges all who attend to consider the environmental consequences of image-making, the potential for renewal, and the power of collective creativity to weave new stories for our shared world.

All are welcome to the opening of 'It matters...' exhibition on Wednesday, 6th November 2025 at 7pm.