The quiet art of tacical curating: a framework for cultural momentum in architecture

Abstract

This PhD examines the processes, tools and tactics I use in my curatorial practice to reposition architecture as a meaningful and essential participant in cultural discourse. The Irish Architecture Foundation serves as the primary focus of my practice-based research.

This research synthesises the ideas, actions and consequences enacted and made public through my practice, tracing connections across projects to identify an approach that foregrounds the reciprocal relationship between practice, people and policy as essential for forging a stronger relationship between architecture and society. The projects chosen for analysis encompass a variety of themes, forms and contexts, and as a group they represent the exhibition strand of my broader curatorial practice.

From this reflection, I developed The Life Cycle of an Exhibition, a framework that traces the evolution of ideas from private conversation to public manifestation and ultimately to a third stage of cultural discourse. Its value lies in its recursive nature, a cycle that gains momentum with each turn, and in its transferability beyond exhibitions to other curatorial forms.

Reflective analysis also uncovered a socio-political sub-narrative embedded in my practice, showing a disposition to seek out and amplify what is unsaid, unseen and overlooked. By ‘attending to absence’ I mean consciously identifying what or who is typically overlooked in subjects, display methods and audiences and making curatorial choices that bring those elements into view. This has emerged as a defining motivation throughout my practice.

These insights reveal a generative curatorial approach that cultivates ecosystems, encourages critical inquiry, enables collaboration, embraces difference and advances incrementally through quiet tactical influence rather than grand or declarative acts. It presents a framework for curatorial practice that frees architecture from disciplinary constraints, positioning it as a vital contribution to both cultural production and cultural life.

Date of Award	Jul 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Supervisor	Colm Moore (Supervisor) & Laurence Lord (Supervisor)