Museums & Galleries

Kerlin Gallery

Dublin, Ireland
Kerlin Gallery

Dublin, Ireland

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Dublin’s polished contemporary-art hideaway just off Grafton Street. Kerlin Gallery is small, central and quietly influential — the kind of gallery where Irish and international contemporary art meet at a serious level.

Kerlin Gallery is located on Anne’s Lane, South Anne Street, Dublin 2, close to Grafton Street and the city’s main cultural/shopping route. Founded in Dublin in 1988, the gallery has built an international reputation through exhibitions, publishing and art-fair programmes. Its current purpose-built space was designed by minimalist architect John Pawson and offers around 3,600 square feet over two floors.

This is not a museum or a tourist attraction in the usual sense. It is a commercial contemporary gallery — free to enter, changing often, and best understood as part of Dublin’s living art ecosystem.

Image credit

© Kerlin Gallery

What you’ll see here

At Kerlin Gallery, expect temporary exhibitions rather than a permanent collection. The programme can move between painting, sculpture, photography, film, installation and conceptual practices, often with a strong Irish presence and international reach.

You may encounter:

  • Contemporary Irish and international artists
  • Painting, sculpture, photography, video and installation
  • Focused solo exhibitions
  • A minimalist, calm gallery space
  • A central Dublin stop that is easy to combine with other cultural visits
  • A more intimate alternative to large museums

Worth the trip

Yes — especially if you want Dublin beyond the big museums.

What makes Kerlin Gallery special is its balance: central but discreet, elegant but not intimidating, Irish-rooted but internationally connected. It is one of those galleries that helps you feel the city’s contemporary art scene in real time.

For Artlovers, Kerlin is worth including because it shows Dublin not only as a city of literary memory and historic collections, but as a place where contemporary artists are still being shown, supported, collected and placed into the wider art conversation.

ArtLovers Tip

Visit Kerlin as part of a central Dublin art walk. Pair it with the National Gallery of Ireland, The Douglas Hyde Gallery, cafés around Grafton Street, or a wider route toward Temple Bar and Trinity College. It is a quick stop, but a very good one if the exhibition is strong. This is a compact gallery visit. Allow around 20–40 minutes, or longer if the exhibition includes video or installation. Since the programme changes regularly, always check the current show before going.

On show now

Exhibitions at Kerlin Gallery

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