‘The Air We Share’ features artworks created in collaboration with climate scientists and the local community
Galway Arts Centre, in conjunction with Galway City Council, today (14.08.25) launched a major new group exhibition that invites visitors to experience an immersive sound installation, watch real-time environmental data transform into digital sculptures, and learn more about Galway’s air quality, climate and shared environment.
Titled ‘The Air We Share’, the exhibition features innovative, participatory projects developed by artists in close collaboration with climate scientists from University of Galway and communities from Galway City’s Westside – a designated decarbonising zone.
The exhibition showcases work by artists Leon Butler, Christopher Steenson, and the artist collective a place of their own (Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy),all commissioned through ‘The Air We Share’ artist-in-residence programme. Over the past ten months, the artists have worked closely with local communities and climate scientists to explore how art can interpret complex environmental concepts and data, helping to make the invisible realities of air pollution visible.
Drawing on data collected from local air pollution monitors, alongside insights from citizen science and community workshops, the resulting artworks include:
Leon Butler’s Phosphene – a digital installation that transforms air quality data captured across Galway city in real time into sculptural and digital forms, inviting visitors to rethink how we experience and respond to environmental information.
Christopher Steenson’s Where does the body end – an ambient sound installation that takes the idea of the atmosphere as a physical body to explore our connection to the world through breath. Incorporating writing, sculpture and kinetic elements, the piece draws on concepts from philosophy and meditation to create an evolving soundscape that responds to live air quality data detected in the gallery.
The 9 Freedoms for the Air by a place of their own – a large collective textile artwork created jointly with the Westside community through a series of participatory workshops with scientists and legal experts, imagining future air rights.
The artist commissions lie at the creative heart of ‘The Air We Share’, a collaborative climate action initiative launched in July 2024. Led by Galway City Council, the initiative examines and highlights the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to air pollution through art, citizen science and community action. It forms part of the Council’s broader climate action plan, which aims to cut carbon emissions by over 50% within the next five years and improve air quality citywide.
Director and Curator of Galway Arts Centre, Megs Morley, commented: “We’re thrilled to present ‘The Air We Share’ exhibition at Galway Arts Centre over the coming weeks. Each of these commissioned works reflects the power of collaboration – between artists, scientists and communities – and offers a fresh perspective on the often-invisible issue of air quality and pollution. Through sound, data, conversation and craft, the artists have created thought-provoking works that make complex environmental issues feel tangible and accessible. We hope visitors of all ages will find inspiration and reflection in what’s on display.”
Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive of Galway City Council, added: “‘The Air We Share’ forms an important part of a wider suite of actions in Galway City Council’s Climate Action Plan, which aims to cut carbon emissions by over 50% within the next five years and significantly improve air quality across the city. Raising public awareness and fostering deeper community engagement are essential to achieving these goals. These commissions show how creativity can open up new ways of thinking about environmental health. By turning scientific data into shared experience, the exhibition invites us all to reflect on our role in protecting the air we breathe and building a more sustainable future for Galway.”
‘The Air We Share’ brings together a consortium of local partners, led by Galway City Council, and including Galway Arts Centre, University of Galway, Westside Resource Centre, and Galway Culture Company.
The exhibition will be officially opened on Saturday, 16th August at 2pm by Deputy Mayor of Galway City, Alan Cheevers, with guest speaker Annie Fletcher, Director of the Irish Museum of Modern Art. All are welcome to attend the opening reception. The exhibition runs until Sunday, 21st September. Admission is free and a full programme of talks, tours and public events will run alongside the exhibition. Visit galwayartscentre.ie for details.
‘The Air We Share’ is a recipient of the Creative Climate Action Fund, an initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme, funded by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport in collaboration with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment. The fund supports creative, cultural and artistic projects that build awareness around climate change and empower citizens to make meaningful behavioural transformations.
For further information, visit www.theairweshare.ie.