The question of who would succeed Pat Murphy following his retirement as director of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) last year invited debate, speculation and, on the part of the organisation, reflection. Murphy largely defined the role during his very long tenure, to some extent building the organisation around him and gaining supporters and critics along the way. The role as he established it was a centralised leadership (one point of critical commentary), that looked into the organisation and its core values as well as to the landscape of emergent and established contemporary art. The RHA has played a significant role in the careers of many contemporary Irish artists, sometimes compensating for the apparent indifference, or shortcomings, of the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Hugh Lane Gallery.
After a moderately protracted wait, with interim director Nathalie Weadick at the helm, the appointment of Séamus Kealy confirms the RHA’s commitment to that broad strategy of embracing the wider scene. Kealy, who takes up his position in July, was director of Sligo’s The Model arts centre from 2008 to 2013. That was a relatively early position for him after he completed his studies in 2005. He went on to work in Salzburg, Austria, and back in Canada, where he is currently director of Oakville Galleries, Toronto.
Kealy is a graduate of the University of British Columbia. There, the influence of photographic artist Jeff Wall looms as large as his monumental light-box photographic tableaux and, looking back, Kealy’s pivot towards photography and film is noticeable. He completed a BFA and later an MA in curatorial studies. His record since suggests a curator who possesses organisational competence (not necessarily a given in the occupation) and networking skills (essential), and who is cast firmly in the current international mould (a mixed blessing).
Regardless of Kealy’s talents, one hopes that his term will be the normal five-year director’s, followed by a review for a second, final term.
Meanwhile, as the dust settles in Ely Place, this year’s RHA Annual Exhibition kicks off. Painter Maeve McCarthy and sculptor Vera Klute have overseen the hanging and layout of the blockbuster show (McCarthy the wall-mounted works and Klute the sculpture).
Aidan Dunne
