(*1996 Longford, IRE)
Frances Hennigan’s practice explores the intersection of fame, mediated attention, misinformation and performative activism in media. Her work is driven by an ongoing investigation into how the digital world shapes our beliefs and perception. Frances’ practice examines the glossy, crude glamour of internet celebrity culture, interrogating the role of celebrity influencers and media in shaping political discourse. Her work is centred around a reflection on the sophisticated, often unconscious ways audiences decode and internalise images, and how such processes shape beliefs, loyalties, and collective imaginaries. Drawing on the logic of memes, PR tactics and political iconography, she examines how visual tropes are deployed in media to maximise impact while minimising audience alienation.
Frances was awarded a fellowship of Digital Culture with Kulturforum Witten in 2023 and is a co-founder of CRUX, a collective making offsite exhibitions.
education
2022 MA Art Research Collaboration, Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, IRE
2020 BA (Hons) Art, Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, IRE
2016 Jewellery and Metalwork Design, National College of Art and Design, IRE
solo exhibitions
2027 Upcoming Solo, Roscommon Arts Centre, Roscommon, IRE
2026 Upcoming Solo, Courthouse Gallery, Clare, IRE
2024 Dead of Night, Solo exhibition, Saalbau, Witten, DE
group exhibitions
2025 I feel how my eye turns, Curated by Screen service, Abbey Arts Centre, Donegal, IRE
Fem Festival, Kulturamt Ingolstadt, DE
2024 From Digital to Analogue (And back again?), Curated by Stefan Mildenberger, Hinterconti, Hamburg, DE
Offenes Atelier Duisburg, Atelier66, Duisburg, DE
FutureTechFest, group exhibition, curated by Alain Bieber, Areal Böhler, Düsseldorf, DE
Real, CRUX collective, trio exhibition, B63, Witten, DE
2022 Internationales Digitalkunst Festival, Kultur im Bunker, Stuttgart, DE
Wax Rhapsodic, The LAB Gallery, Dublin, IRE
2021 Luan Gallery Art Fair, Luan Gallery, Westmeath, IRE
Periodical Review, Pallas Projects/ Studios, Dublin, IRE
2020 Meat Eater Meteor, SPUR.WORLD, Chaos Magic, Online Exhibition produced by Omsk Social Club, UK
In the Making/ Appraisal, Pallas Projects/ Studios, Dublin, IRE
Online Graduate Showcase, IADT, IRE
Signal Open, Signal Arts Centre, Bray, IRE
crux.project, Rathmichael Ring Fort, South County Dublin, IRE
2019 Making the intangible, tangible, United Arts Club, IADT student exhibition, IRE
How’s your Da? MLV Studios, Dublin, IRE
grants and awards
2025 Artist Bursary, Roscommon County Council, Roscommon, IRE
2024 Individual Mobility, Culture Moves Europe, European Commission
Project funding for Witten’s Free Scene, Kulturforum Witten, DE
Zeitgeist Irland 24’, Culture IRE
2023 Agility Award, Arts Council of IRE
No End to the Road, Fellowship of Digital Culture, Kulturforum Witten, DE
2022 Artist bursary Roscommon County Council, Roscommon, IRE
residencies
2024 Brettebude Residency, Kulturforum Witten, DE
Professional Development Research Residency, Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Manorhamilton, IRE
2020 SPUR.WORLD, Chaos Magic, Online Digital Residency
achievements
2025 1:1 Mentorship with Eamonn Maxwell, Roscommon Arts Office, Roscommon, IRE
2023 Fellow of Urban Digital Culture, Kulturforum Witten, DE
2022 RDS Visual Art Awards, shortlist, national award Art graduate of the year, IRE
2020 Co-Founder of crux.project
curation
2025 The Story Writes Itself, Märkisches Museum Witten, DE
2024 Real, CRUX collective, B63, Witten, DE
2020 crux.project, CRUX collective, Rathmichael Ringfort, Dublin, IRE
In the Making/ Appraisal, Student Exhibition, Pallas Projects/ Studios, Dublin, IRE
In the Making/ To Let, Student Exhibition, Pallas Projects/ Studios, Dublin, IRE
In the Making/ Equity, Student Exhibition, Pallas Projects/ Studios, Dublin, IRE
artist talks
2024 From Digital to Analogue (And back again?), Artist Panel Talk, Hinterconti, Hamburg, DE
2023 Dead of Night, Kulturforum Witten, DE
2020 The Artist’s Breakfast Club, The Model, Sligo, IRE
publications
2023 Material Relations: Niamh O’Malley’s Gather at the fifty-ninth Venice Biennale, Glass Ireland 2022.
links
Real, CRUX, B63, Witten, DE, 2024
D-Fellow Doccumentary, Kulturforum Witten, DE, 2024
Dublin Enquirer interview, Dublin, IRE, 2021
crux.project, CRUX, Rathmichael Ring Fort, Rathmichael, Dublin, IRE, 2020