Séamus Gallagher: It’s A Mess

Séamus Gallagher is a lens-based media artist. They often work with video game engines, 3D modeling software, drag, and photography. Their work has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Toronto, the Museum of Fine Arts of Leipzig, the Portrait Gallery of Canada, as well as the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland and the National Gallery of Canada, among others. In 2023, they had their first solo museum exhibition at the McCord Stewart Museum in Montreal, as part of that year’s MOMENTA Biennale de l’image.

Gallagher’s practice often takes the form of photographs, videos, and installations that incorporate elements of video game design, drag, performance, and set construction/world building. Their previous projects have touched on their interests in hauntology, queer ecology, camp, mimicry, the limits of representation, and failure as a form of liberation. Many of their projects draw from their background as a drag performer, employing a maximalist aesthetic with elements of costuming and makeup.