30th August 2026 – Exhibition

The Olivier Cornet is delighted to host Miriam McConnon’s new exhibition, ‘No Mirrors Left in Gaza, the artist’s sixth solo show with us.

Miriam McConnon’s new series of work has been informed by her correspondence with families in Gaza over the last two years.

The work is focused on locating the soft space within domestic life in a time of war. A space that is resilient and counteracts the hardness of the conflict beyond its fabric walls. The artist examines the dichotic co-existence of these two opposing realities in her paintings. In her paintings she depicts temporary shelters that strive to remain a home.  She elevates the last remaining domestic objects that these families in Gaza possess, to priceless commodities. Each domestic scene is adorned in patterns from the families’ personal possessions allowing their presence to be felt in the work.

Two garments of children’s clothing hang in the sash windows of the gallery. The small jackets are made from medical gauze, a fabric which originated in Gaza, hence its name. This fragile fabric gains its strength as a medical bandage for the wounded. These ‘Baby Armours’ are a homage to the tens of thousands of children who have been killed in the genocide in Gaza.

Miriam also references the archeological documentation of war in her series of ancient pots which carry images of displaced Palestinian families. History is more often narrated through a series of battles, won and lost. Miriam McConnon’s work aims to document and to archive for future generations, the overlooked side of this war, the survival of the domestic living space and its function as a gate keeper of everyday security.

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This exhibition recognizes the unassuming power of the domestic space to facilitate security and dignity in a time of famine and genocide.

2026 is a milestone year for the artist who, back in March, had a solo show at the Europa Gallery, Dublin, to mark the Cypriot Presidency of the European Council. We had the pleasure of coordinating the exhibition, titled Common Fractures, by invitation of and in collaboration with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland. We should also congratulate the artist for featuring on the website of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and in Irish art in Cyprus: Meet Miriam McConnon, a wonderful film about her practice and work in Cyprus.

Official Opening at 3pm on Sunday 30 August 2026,
Olivier Cornet Gallery, 3 Great Denmark Street, Dublin 1.

Guest speaker:
Alaa Alqaisi
Author, translator and PhD researcher

Alaa Alqaisi  is a Palestinian translator, writer, and researcher from Gaza. She holds an MA in Translation Studies and is a PhD candidate at Trinity College Dublin.

A special musical event will also take place on Culture Night 2026, i.e. 18 September 2026.