For its summer 2019 exhibition, the Crawford Art Gallery will present a major survey exhibition, titled Seen, not Heard. The selection of work will range from 18th-century to present, examining the representations of children from the historical to contemporary from Irish art collections and Irish artists.

Seen, not Heard will be based on three core sections” ‘Power and Perception’, ‘Portrait’ and ‘Tales of Childhood’.

From these sections the selected works on display will extend from the extreme contrasts of aristocratic family portraits to the working-class child of 19th and 20th-century Ireland, juxtaposed with contemporary work by Irish artists.

Through these works, the exhibition will examine what these visual representations tell us about how the role of the child has evolved within Ireland and the wider society, the challenging perspectives of the artist and viewer, and aims to encourage the audience to reflect on their own perceptions of childhood.

Learn & Explore Programme to accompany Seen, not Heard : Coming out to play?

The proverb Seen, not Heard, has its origins in the 15th century, where children, particularly young women, were meant to stay silent unless spoken to or asked to speak.
Children are spontaneous, unpredictable and full of curiosity. How do we capture the voice of children in 2019?
The Upper Gallery will be developed in an experimental, project based playroom.

As part of the associated Crawford Art Gallery Learn and Explore Programme, Seen, not Heard, will develop an active space concurrent with the exhibition in the upper gallery.
The extensive gallery space will be transformed to allow visitors to most definitely be seen and heard, while actively exploring scale from the tiny to the fully immersive; a wide range of art material and even draw on the walls.