Institute of Art Design + Technology
Dún Laoghaire

Rory Foster 

BA [Hons] Visual Communication Design

Hello, my name is Rory! I'm a designer with a strong interest in art direction and motion. I love experimenting through image making and typography, applying the outcomes across print and screen in a clear, considered way creating unique, engaging design solutions. As a result my design is driven by play, curiosity, experimentation and a love of making. I also have a keen interest in music, art and film, and believe these influences inform much of my work. I am always eager to learn with every new brief and really look forward to putting my skills to use in future projects!

Project Description

Collapse are a Dublin based art collective. In a climate of closing music venues and art studios the group aim to create a space for culture in their new studio, with plans for holding music events, exhibitions and talks, creating work which highlights the importance of culture in Dublin city.

Through the launch event Collapse aim to establish their position in Dublin’s cultural landscape, engage emerging artists, encourage them to join the collective and create work for future exhibitions and events.

At their opening Collapse will also launch their first publication; ‘Encyclopedia of Lost Spaces 1990-2024'. The book attempts to quantify the benefits of culture on social capital. One of the most important aspects of the book is to inform emerging creatives of the what was there in the past, and what has been lost.


Thesis: Irish Exceptionalism? Banal nationalism and multiculturalism in contemporary Irish visual and material culture

During the last five years, Ireland has been enjoying a period of international cultural recognition, producing fashion designers, film makers, actors and musical talents whose work focuses on the country’s national identity. In my thesis I examined how current visual and material culture in contemporary Ireland promotes the concept of Irish exceptionalism. These exceptionalisms, cultural aspects unique to Irish society, are deconstructed to understand what Ireland’s national identity means in contemporary Ireland. The work is concerned with the question what it means to be Irish today? I explored how these works showcase Ireland’s current zeitgeist, revealing its preoccupation with national identity and nationalism. I investigated these depictions of Irish excellence through the concepts of ‘Banal Nationalism’, first coined by Michael Billig and Benedict Anderson’s ‘Imagined Communities’. I will also be dissecting how multiculturalism is reflected in Ireland’ s increasingly diverse population.