DUBLIN.- The National Gallery of Ireland has announced its 2027 programme, headlined by exhibitions depicting the west coast of Ireland over the past two centuries, the work and impact of German Expressionist groups Die Br�cke (Bridge) and Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), plus news of a major total rehang of the Gallery’s permanent collection.

The 2027 season will provide a journey through the world of art, showcasing a dynamic blend of Irish and European artists across multiple genres and eras. Beloved annual traditions also return in 2027, including the January display of the watercolours of J.M.W. Turner (1775–1851) and a celebration of contemporary Irish portraiture in the AIB Portrait Prize & AIB Young Portrait Prize 2027.

In January, J.M.W. Turner’s 31 watercolours take centre stage at the Gallery for their annual display. Bequeathed to Ireland by English collector Henry Vaughan, the works have been exhibited every January since 1901 and have become a tradition for visitors across Ireland and overseas. The 2027 Turner exhibition will also include a group of etchings from his famous Liber Studiorum print series, begun when he was in his early thirties. The Vaughan Bequest – Turner’s Watercolours runs from 1 - 31 January 2026. Admission is free.

The Gallery’s first major exhibition of the year, West: Art from the Edge of Ireland, will bring together works by artists who have turned their attention to Ireland’s western seaboard, offering not only scenic views of this enduring terrain, but reflections on how its representation has transformed over time. Spanning the 19th century to present day, the display will demonstrate how artists have used the West of Ireland as a place to explore and probe identity, memory and the natural world. Representations of the West of Ireland will be explored through a wide variety of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, video and works on paper, and work will be featured artists including by Sean Scully (b. 1945), Mainie Jellett (1897 – 1944), William Orpen (1878 – 1931), Sean Keating (1889 – 1977), Dorothea Lange (1895 – 1965), Frederic William Burton (1816 – 1900) and Dorothy Cross (b. 1956). Visitors to this exhibition will experience the West as a source of freedom, inspiration, peace, cultural preservation and revival, as well as a location that is layered with narratives of diverse human experiences. An accompanying publication will expand on the interdisciplinary elements of the exhibition, exploring social, political and cultural history in Ireland as it relates to the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as environmental studies and poetry. West: Art from the Edge of Ireland runs from 1 April - 11 July 2027 and is ticketed.

Opening in September 2027, German Expressionism will be the first exhibition in Ireland and the UK in 60 years to chart the work of the two pivotal German Expressionist groups Die Br�cke (Bridge) and Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), who were active from the start of the twentieth century until the end of the First World War. This seminal exhibition will offer a unique opportunity to trace the development of both groups and will situate German Expressionism within the broader European art-historical context. This will include works by Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), Marianne von Werefkin (1860-1938), Emil Nolde (1867-1956) and Gabriele M�nter (1877-1962) amongst others. The exhibition is curated by Sean Rainbird, former Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, one of the world’s leading experts in this field. It runs from 9 September 2027 – 9 January 2028 and is ticketed. The exhibition is organised by the National Gallery, London in collaboration with the National Gallery of Ireland. It is supported by the Irish and UK Governments under the UK-Ireland Cultural Co-operation Programme 2026-2030.

The annual AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize competitions will return in 2027. Following the annual open call for entries, a shortlist of portraits will be selected by two separate judging panels. The winner of the AIB Portrait Prize will receive a €15,000 prize and a €5,000 commission for a new portrait to be included in the National Portrait Collection. Both competitions culminate in two exhibitions in the Portrait Gallery at the National Gallery of Ireland from 13 November 2027 - 12 March 2028. Admission is free.

In January 2027, visitors to the National Gallery of Ireland will also begin to see new displays emerge across the Gallery as part of a major rehang of the Gallery’s permanent collection. The Gallery will remain open throughout the process, offering visitors opportunities to experience familiar works in new ways while discovering objects and stories not previously on display. Ten years after the Gallery reopened, this will be the first comprehensive opportunity to present for a new generation the best of Irish and international art together, for free, for everyone.

Dr Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, said: “We are delighted to reveal our exhibition programme for 2027. We continually strive to inspire our audience and I’m confident that our 2027 programme will do just that. We look forward to welcoming visitors from across our island and further afield through our doors, whether it’s to explore representations of the West of Ireland or to see exceptional works by the very influential German Expressionist groups on display. With the return of Turner’s watercolours and the continued celebration of portraiture with the AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize, the Gallery remains a vibrant space for art, dialogue, and discovery. We are grateful for the support of our committed and valued partners and sponsors, and I would like to offer my gratitude in particular to the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport for its ongoing support.”