RTÉ launches online gallery Illuminations

RTÉ have launched an online gallery, Illuminations – which will be accessible through to early December,

This year's pandemic has impacted countless lives. Each work in the gallery microscopically explores different aspects of life under the shadow of lockdown.

RTÉ commissioned 30 works from esteemed and emerging creatives. The gallery features visual art, photography, film, music, poetry, essays and spoken word pieces.

"Creating something out of nothing, this newly made art is a testament to how we feel right now in the midst of the pandemic. Demonstrating, once again, the moments of richness and sustenance that art can bring to our personal and public lives," said Ann-Marie Power, Group Head of Arts & Culture for RTÉ.

Aiming to capture the stories of people during this strange time, Illuminations, highlights many mundane but important fragments of those stories in hopes to foster solidarity and build resilience within those who observe its pieces. Art can be a strong method of healing. To reconnect with the relatable is a powerful method of bringing people together and discovering universal struggles.

Photographer, Jeanette Lowe, uses her discipline to acknowledge the labor of frontline workers during the pandemic. Ayesha Ahmad illustrates portraits of her grandmother going about her daily lockdown activities. Not only does the gallery speak to the hardships of lockdown but also the joy that can surpass this time of overwhelming change. Niamh Campbell and Megan K. Fox’s mockumentary ‘Love in the Time of Corona’, investigates stories about finding a partner when solitude has become a norm.

More works will be added to the collection and showcased at the gallery in November.

Visit Illuminations here.