CAIM
Curated by Jenn Ellis and Matilda Liu
Presented by Slane Castle
September 11th-30th, 2025. Slane Castle, Ireland.
Slane Castle, village of Slane, Boyne Valley of County Meath, Ireland.
Thrilled to announce the launch of Slane Castle’s art programme: CAIM
Named after the Celtic word for “sanctuary,” Caim is Slane Castle’s new art programme dedicated to exploring nature and sanctuary through contemporary art. This September, Caim will launch its inaugural exhibition at the iconic 18th-century estate, fostering dialogues between international contemporary art and Ireland’s natural heritage.
In Irish Gaelic, Caim signifies protection and sanctuary—a concept deeply rooted in ancient Celtic symbolism and ceremony. Traditionally, it refers to the act of encircling something in a protective prayer, evoking a sense of safety and sacredness.
Inspired by these themes of shelter, preservation, and ritual, the exhibition brings together a diverse group of international contemporary artists working across various mediums, generations, and cultural backgrounds. Reflecting Slane Castle’s motto, “Nurture and Share,” Caim transforms the historic estate by engaging with and reawakening its connection to the surrounding natural landscape.
More info www.caimatslane.com
About the Open Call
Calling artists of all disciplines to submit work for the first edition of Slane Castle’s art programme, Caim. Named after the Celtic word for “sanctuary,” Caim is Slane Castle’s new art program dedicated to fostering dialogues between international contemporary art and Ireland’s natural heritage.
In Irish Gaelic, Caim signifies protection and sanctuary—a concept deeply rooted in ancient Celtic symbolism and ceremony. Traditionally, it refers to the act of encircling something in a protective prayer, evoking a sense of safety and sacredness.
Artists are invited to respond to notions of shelter, preservation, and ritual. Reflecting Slane Castle’s motto, “Nurture and Share,” artists will engage with the historic estate, reawakening its connection to the surrounding natural landscape. If selected works will be exhibited at the inaugural exhibition at Slane Castle’s iconic 18th-century estate from 11-30 September 2025.
Jury members: Matilda Liu, Jenn Ellis, Alex Conyngham, Belinda Quirke, Chris Fite-Wassilak, Jack Wilks, Helen Pheby, Michael Hill
Submission deadline: 11th April| 00:00 BST
This Open Call is now closed, we well notify the finalist 5th May!
For more information or inquiries, please contact info@apsarastudio.co.uk
About the Jury
Jenn Ellis FRSA is a curator and founder from Switzerland, Colombia and the UK based in London following five years in Hong Kong. Passionate about the considered meeting of art, space and context, she has created over the last decade meaningful projects and connections between artists, galleries and institutions globally. As the founder of curatorial studio APSARA, she has led projects from the UNESCO heritage vineyards in Burgundy to Frieze 9 Cork Street, and collaborated with international galleries and institutions including Silverlens, Sullivan+Strumpf, Proyectos Ultravioleta, Lehmann Maupin, Tate and South London Gallery. Ellis hold a Law Degree from King’s College London and a History of Art Degree from the University of Cambridge.
Matilda Liu is an independent curator based in London, with a global perspective shaped by her upbringing in the US and China. Her curatorial practice explores the intersections of contemporary art, design, culture, and cuisine, creating exhibitions and experiences that foster dialogue across disciplines. As the founder of Meeting Point Projects, Matilda curates exhibitions that frequently showcase emerging artists—often within three years of graduating from art school—alongside established artists from private collections. Her work is driven by an interest in cultural heritage, space, and human geography, seeking to expand the critical contexts in which contemporary art can be engaged with. Matilda holds a BA from Central Saint Martins and an MA in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art. She is a Platinum Patron of Tate and an advocate for supporting artists at all stages of their careers. Through her projects, she is dedicated to fostering cross-disciplinary conversations and creating meaningful encounters between art, design, and lived experience.
Dr Helen Pheby is Head of Culture, Heritage and Sport with the West Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, which comprises Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield. Helen was Associate Director, Programme, at Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP), where she worked from 2001-24. She gained her PhD in 2003 from the University of Liverpool. Her thesis explored equity of access to, and participation in, culture in relation to New Labour’s Policy Action Team 10 and social exclusion. Helen’s role at WYCA involves working in partnership to help deliver the West Yorkshire Plan and Mayor Brabin’s pledges and ultimately contributing to a happy and thriving region.
Alex Conyngham, co-founder of Slane Irish Whiskey, hails from the historic Conyngham family of Slane Castle. After studying Art History at Trinity College Dublin and working at Christie’s, he returned to Ireland in 2006 and launched Slane Irish Whiskey in 2009, later partnering with Brown Forman to open Slane Distillery in 2018. He continues his family’s legacy by hosting the iconic Slane Concerts and supporting Rock Farm Slane, an organic farm and eco-glamping site run by his wife, Carina. Alex blends heritage with innovation, ensuring Slane Castle Estate remains a thriving cultural and sustainable destination.
Jack Wilks is a collector, patron, and writer based in London, dedicated to supporting emerging artists and fostering critical conversations in contemporary art. Founder of Museum Addict, he shares essays on contemporary art with a focus on ideas of diaspora and cultural exchange. He works in the Contemporary Art Department at Sotheby’s and as an arts patron has helped facilitate acquisitions of works by emerging artists for institutions including the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and the Albertina Museum in Vienna.
Michael Hill is Programme Curator at Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, Dublin, Ireland, and one half of the curatorial team (with Clíodhna Shaffrey) that represented Ireland at the 59th Venice Biennale 2022, and Irish Tour 2023, with artist Niamh O’Malley. In 2024 he curated two major off-site solo exhibitions in the active industrial setting of Dublin Port, integrating large-scale immersive installations into a disused pump house building with Yuri Pattison, and open-air graving docks with Liliane Puthod. In 2025 he will make independently curated exhibitions with Liliane Puthod at Weatherproof, Chicago; and Mairead O’hEocha at The Model, Sligo.
Chris Fite-Wassilak is a writer and critic based in London, author of Ha-Ha Crystal and The Artist in Time. An Associate Editor of ArtReview, he has also contributed to Art Monthly, e-flux, frieze, The Quietus, Tate Etc and Vittles, among others. He is a tutor on the MA Writing at the RCA, London, and co-organises, with the artist Anne Tallentire, the biannual event hmn.
Belinda Quirke is a curator, producer, musician and inaugural director of both the award winning Solstice Arts Centre, and most recently Swift Cultural Centre, Trim in County Meath. She has instigated a diverse cultural programme at Solstice, encompassing the curation of performance, gallery spaces, offsite and touring productions, including recent pivotal commissions with artists Niamh McCann, Willie Doherty, Isabel Nolan and Barbara Knežević. Her curatorial work has been presented from the MAC, Belfast to The STABLEarts, Washington DC, playing a critical role in Irish arts development and advocacy. A graduate of NCAD (MFA, Art in the Contemporary World), Crawford College of Art (Painting) and University College Cork (B.Mus), Belinda is currently a trustee of the Golden Fleece Award; an independent artistic prize fund established as a charitable bequest by the late Helen Lillias Mitchell.