New Kildare exhibition by emerging artist

AN EXCITING new art exhibition is coming to the Riverbank Arts Centre at the end of the month from Emerging Visual Artist Bursary Award 2025 recipient Ben Morrison.

For his debut solo show, Illustrated Parts Breakdown, interdisciplinary artist Ben Morrison ‘unites broken machine parts with fieldstone extractions in a considered scenography of form, light and space’. Over the course of the exhibition’s duration, which runs from Friday 30 October to Tuesday 22 December, the artist will ‘test the formalities of the white cube, transforming the gallery space into a site of ongoing labour’.

Through his use of sculpture, moving image and durational performance, ‘the artist makes visible the injury and questions the act of repair. Fundamentally, the exhibition examines how the task of maintaining a place, an object or an artwork becomes Sisyphean in nature – ultimately endless or futile’.

Reflecting on the importance of the bursary award to his career, Ben said: “Receiving the Emerging Visual Artist Bursary Award has afforded me considerable time and space to explore and experiment with new and developing ideas. I am very grateful to the Riverbank team who have supported my process from the beginning.” 

Now in its sixteenth year, the Emerging Visual Artist Bursary Award is open to emerging visual artists who have or are in the process of creating a significant body of work. The recipient of the bursary award is then invited to present their solo exhibition in the McKenna Gallery in Riverbank.

Kildare County Council arts officer Éilis Lavelle said: “Supporting artists to develop sustainable and ambitious creative practices is a key priority for Kildare County Council Arts Service. We are proud to support Ben Morrison through the Emerging Visual Artist Solo Exhibition Award and to continue our longstanding partnership with Riverbank Arts Centre. Through a thoughtful consideration of material culture and changing landscapes, Illustrated Parts Breakdown offers audiences a compelling opportunity to engage with the work of an exciting emerging artist at a pivotal stage in his career.” 

As part of the exhibition, Ben will host Dig – A Performance Lecture on Wednesday 16 December at 7pm.

Illustrated Parts Breakdown will run in the McKenna Gallery at Riverbank Arts Centre from Friday 30 October until Tuesday 22 December, Monday to Friday from 9.30am-5pm and Saturdays from 10am-1pm. Admission is free, and guided tours are available free of charge for school groups. Please contact boxoffice@riverbank.ie for more information.