If you are looking for a way to get a deeper insight into different cultures, look no further than the photography exhibition being organised by Photo Soc. This brilliant showcase of talent is being held in the Quadrangle Gallery until 28 March and will be open three times a week from Wednesday to Friday.
The theme of the exhibition is culture, the perfect theme for such a diverse society. So many different cultures and countries can be seen through the gallery, such as Ireland, France, India and the US, just to name a few. This exhibition does a great job of demonstrating all the different aspects that can be seen in these cultures, from religion, nature and art, each picture is unique.
“We wanted to make an exhibition for the community from the community, our community is from all over the world” said Ruth, the auditor of the society. Diarmuid, the vice auditor commented that: “We just wanted to make sure we were being as inclusive as possible to all our members, so we celebrate where they come from. Even on the committee we’re from all around.”
The opening night of the exhibit took place on 6 March, and was a great success. People got to interact with the photographers of the exhibit. Some light refreshments were offered, and a few guest speakers shared their insights. These include Dr Ray Butler and Dr Chaosheng Zhang, who spoke about how their photography links to their own culture. Riona Hughes from Socs Box also gave a speech. Both professors have been heavily involved with the organisation of this exhibit and have even contributed some of their own work.
Documents associated with the Photography Society dating back to the 1980s were found in the library however, the current committee is a little more recent. The PhotoSoc that we know has been an official society since 2020 after a hiatus in 2013. “Since 2020/2021 we have put all our efforts back into rebuilding and building back up our communities and this is the fruits of that” said Diarmuid.
The exhibition has been in the works since the end of last semester, submissions opened last month, and the committee received up to 90 photos. Both the members of the society and the committee have put a huge amount of effort into this event. This is PhotoSoc’s first official exhibition and will hopefully be followed by many more.
“From the beginning we had the idea of an exhibition, we had exhibitions before but not to this scale, you could probably say that this exhibition has been planned for the past three years,” said Ruth.
PhotoSoc are also hosting some other events this month, one of them being a collaboration with BotanySoc. This event involves a scenic walk around campus where people can take pictures of the landscape. This exhibition is a great way for people to learn more about the cultures that are dotted around campus. Every picture manages to capture the beauty of these countries, whether it be through music, fashion or food, there is much to be appreciated. There is an online booklet available which includes the backstory behind each picture. The PhotoSoc exhibition is not something to be missed and hopefully will be the first of many more to come.
Elena is a first year Journalism student from Dublin studying at the University of Galway. This is her first time writing for SIN and also her first time writing for a newspaper. She can't wait to be a part of SIN and meet new people.