Christy Eóin O’Beirne (b. 1997, Bradford) is a curator, producer and writer. O’Beirne’s work interrogates and rearticulates notions of diaspora through the lens of fragmentation, land, shibboleth, mourning and decay. His research unearths the debris of displacement and explores the ways in which intergenerational colonial trauma is inscribed into landscapes and topographies.
O’Beirne is currently Assistant Curator at Metroland Cultures, where he recently curated Adam Farah-Saad & Elvis Universe, the face of you, my substitute for love. In 2023, he produced and curated the final Community Commission of the 2022 Brent Biennial by Sean Roy Parker.
In 2023, O’Beirne was nominated and selected for the 17th Edition of the Young Curators Residency Programme at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, IT, where he co-curated the group exhibition, I live in constant fear of the Western descent into …, and edited a book of the same name, published by axis, axis. The project featured over ten commissions, including a major new work by Sara Enrico, Italian representative at the 59th Venice Biennale.
Previously, O'Beirne co-ordinated the delivery of the 25th Anniversary of Deptford X festival, which involved over 150 artists. He was Curatorial Assistant at Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art (2021-22), where he co-curated Diamonds and Rust, Freya Dooley (2022) with Kollektiv Collective, and assisted with several major exhibitions. O’Beirne holds an MFA in Curating from Goldsmiths, University of London (2019-21) and a BA in English Literature, Art History & Visual Culture from University of Exeter (2015-18)
Photo: Gino Attwood
Employment & Volunteering
2023—— Assistant Curator, Metroland Cultures, London, UK
2023 Programme & Communications Manager, Deptford X, London, UK
2023 Curator-in-Residence, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Torino, IT
2021–22 Curatorial Assistant, Goldsmiths CCA, London, UK
2019–20 Gallery Assistant, John Hansard Gallery, Southampton, UK
2018–19 Front of House Team, Lisson Gallery, London, UK
2018 Archive Assistant, Southbank Centre, London, UK
2018 Curator and Exhibition Co-ordinator, Sparks Will Fly, Exeter, UK
2017 Assistant Researcher, Research Matchmaker Project, Solent University, Southampton, UK
2017 Restoration Project Assistant, Video Nation, Southampton, UK
Education
2019-2021 MFA Curating, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK
2018 Node Center for Curatorial Studies, Berlin, Germany (Online)
2015-2018 BA English Literature, Art History & Visual Culture, University of Exeter, UK
Affiliations
2024– Member, a-n: The Artists Information Company
2022– Member, British Art Network
Member, Race, Empire and the Pre-Raphaelites, British Art Network Research Group
2022–23 Member, Expanded Archives Network, Art360 Foundation
Member, Jean Fisher Archive Reading Group, Matt's Gallery, London, UK
Awards & Grants
2024 Curator Bursary, Exploring Northern Ireland, a-n: The Artists Information Company
2023 Curatorial Residency, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Torino, IT
2021–22 Curatorial Fellowship, Goldsmiths CCA, London, UK
2019–21 Departmental Fee Waiver, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK
2015 Aspirational Scholarship, University of Exeter, UK
2013 Excellence in Art Prize, Bradford, UK