From ornate cases to well-worn trunks, the boxes of the Fota House collection carry traces of lives lived and journeys taken. In within / without, Mór Artists Collective opens these containers—literally and imaginatively—to uncover new artistic responses.
Mór Artists Collective and Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens are delighted to announce within / without, an exhibition of new artworks from Mór members in response to a strand of the extensive Fota House museum collection – boxes.
within / without opens at Fota House from June 9 to June 22, 2026 from 11am to 3pm daily. A public reception Wednesday, June 10 at 6pm provides an opportunity to meet the artists.
The museum collection held at Fota House contains almost 4000 items in total, including a large and varied number of ‘boxes’ for a wide variety of uses: travelling, leisure, domestic, decorative, medical and legal. The list is extensive and this year Mór Collective artists explored almost 100 containers shared in the library, presenting a sample of items across as many categories as possible. The artists draw inspiration from the forms, textures and histories of the artefacts.
“The Fota House Collection is extensive and is in all aspects, in keeping with a historic house of significance and stature. This collection of boxes, the subject matter of this year’s exhibition, is relevant to all aspects of historic house living, family adventure, daily life, staff and servants contributions. The visual impact of these items on display in the rooms is wonderful and creates a lived-in, comfortable ambience throughout the house,” says Martina Madden, Museum Standards & Property Coordinator, Fota House. “Through within / without, the second year of this inspirational collaboration with Mór Artists Collective, we are excited to see how this aspect of the collection is interpreted.”
The success of last year’s exhibition brought about the idea to make the project annual, focusing on different strands of the Fota House collection. It offers Mór Artists Collective members a rare opportunity to respond to an extraordinary archive through a platform that invites new audiences to experience the museum collection in unexpected ways.
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