About

Aoife Claffey is a Cork based installation artist exploring the intersections between human behaviour, sensory perception and technology. Her practice considers how technology shapes human experience and interaction, often through immersive and site-responsive installations that engage the senses and respond to the qualities of a particular place.

Working across projection, sound, interactive technologies, sculpture, printmaking and found objects, she develops installations in which materials and technologies shift according to the ideas, environment and context of each work. Her work explores the relationships, boundaries and dependencies between humans and technology, considering how living in an increasingly technology-driven world influences how we experience, communicate and relate to our surroundings and to one another. She is interested in the fragility of sensory perception and the ways immersive, transitional and responsive spaces can create encounters with uncertainty.

Aoife is currently a second-year PhD researcher at MTU’s NIMBUS Research Centre. Her research, Interwoven Networks, investigates interactive art practice and frameworks that shape human–machine interaction, with a focus on resilience, sustainability, trust, responsibility and human agency. She is based at Backwater Artists Group and is a member of Cork Printmakers and Sample-Studios.

Instagram: @aoifeclaffeyart

Education

2025 - Present

PhD Research: Interwoven Networks
MTU · NIMBUS Research Centre · TU RISE Scholarship
Currently in Year 2

2020-2021

MA in Art and Process, Crawford College of Art and Design

First Class Honours

2015-2019

BA in Fine Art, Crawford College of Art and Design

First Class Honours

Awards

2026 Our Ireland, Our EU, 2nd Place in National EU Competition

2025 PhD Scholarship MTU TU Rise Funding

2025 Arts Council Project Award

2024 Arts Council Agility Award

2024 Arts Council Project Award

2024 Cork City Council Artist Bursary

2023 Cork County Council Artist Bursary

2022 Arts Council Agility Award

2022 Cork County Council Touring Bursary

2022 Screaming Popes Prize Finalist

2021 Arts Council Agility Award
2021 Arts Council Project Award with inter_site Collective
2021 RDS Long-list Award
2021 Cork County Council Funding for Solo Show
2021 Shortlisted - Artists Development Programme

2019 The Bloomers Award, Emerging Female Artist
2019 Eli Lilly Purchase Prize
2019 Cork Film Centre, Exhibition Award

Exhibitions

Upcoming

2027 Luan Gallery Exhibition

2026 In Process MTU Gallery at 46 Grand Parade

Solo

2023 Our Town, The Band Stand Carrigaline, Culture night

2022 8 Exhibition, Solo Show, Cork Airport, Cork

2021Mystical Confessions, Solo Show, The Crypt St Lukes, Cork

Group

2026

Oceanic imaginaries, Sirius Arts Centre, Curated by Miguel Amado

2025

⌥ERTIGO, A Crescendo, inter_site, Cork County Hall

Liquid Urbanism, The Lab Gallery, Dublin Curated by Clara McSweeney

2024

GlouguAIR Online Residency Exhibition, Berlin Germany

The Creative Residency Fish Factory, Stöðvarfjörður, Iceland

Digital Art Exhibition, The Lord Mayor's Pavilion, Curated by Robin Parmar

2023

Error: / undefined, inter_site Exhibition, Pallas Projects, Dublin

Our Town, Solo Show, Culture Night, The Band Stand Carrigaline, Cork

Inter_site, Oscillation: An altering rhythm, The Counting House Cork

Cork Printmakers Member Show, Lavit Gallery Cork

2022

Inter_site, Sluice London, IMT Gallery London, England

Inter_site, Sluice Exhibition, Lisbon Portugal

Drawbridge Exhibition, CCAD / Crawford Art Gallery Collaboration

Uillinn West Cork Art Centre Open Studio Exhibition, Cork

Inter_site, Pada Gallery Exhibition, Barreiro, Portugal

Assemblage of Decent, ArtNom Gallery Exhibition, Lisbon, Portugal

Sample Studios Summer Exhibition, Lord Mayor's Pavilion, Cork

K-Kest, Kilorglin, Art Festival, Kerry

Inter_site, Queens Old Castle, Grande Parade Cork

Pulsating Place, Faoin Speir, Lavit Gallery Courtyard, Cork

2021

Oileán, inter_site Collective, Curated by Sinead Barrett, Spike Island
K-Kest, Killorglin Art Festival, Kerry
The Lavit Gallery, Cork Printmakers 30 Exhibition, Cork
inter_site, The Lord Mayors Pavilion Oileán, Cork Harbour Festival

GOMA, Soft Rupture, M.A Group Exhibition, Waterford
inter_site Exhibition, Marina Market, Cork
Uillinn West Cork, Members Exhibition, Cork

2020

Cahoots: The Space Between, A4 Sounds/Sample Studios/Engage

Uillinn Art Gallery, Winter Online Showcase
Gallery Grand Parade N46, COM,MA, Masters in Art and Process
James Barry Gallery MTU, COM,MA, Masters in Art and Process

Sample Studios Christmas Members Show, The Lord Mayors Pavilion Cork

IndieCork, Artist Film, MV ALTA, Online Exhibition

Grande Parade Cork, A window into / A window onto, Culture Night

Incognito, Jack and Jills Public Art Initiative

The Lord Mayors Pavilion, Host, Cork Printmakers

2019

The Lord Mayors Pavilion Cork, Sample Studios Christmas Show
The Gate Cinema, IndieCork Film Shortlisted EI 724
Crawford College of Art and Design, Dismantle, Fine Art Degree Show

Espai Cultural Eina, Barcelona Spain, PRINT.ED #5

2018

Dali Cork, Dismantle Fundraiser Exhibition
Kino Cafe Cork Exhibition, Tautophony: Why do we rattle? Why do we sweat?

2016

Wandesford Quay Gallery Cork, Trouvaille

Residencies

2026

Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh

2024

Online Residency GlouguAIR Berlin, Germany

The Creative Residency Fish Factory, Stöðvarfjörður, Iceland

2022

Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre, Studio Residency

PADA Studio and Gallery, Residency and Exhibition, Lisbon Portugal

2021

Cork Printmakers Fellowship Award

Spike Island Art Residency

Sample Studio Residency Award and Solo Show

2020

Cork Printmakers 12 Month Bursary Award

Multimedia Graduate Award, Crawford College of Art and Design

Teaching

Part Time Lecturer

MTU, Crawford College of Art and Design 2021-Present

Art Tutor & Facilitator

Sample Studios 2021-Present

Creative Schools 2021-2025

Glucksman Gallery 2022-2024

Macroom School of Art 2021-2024

Evening Adult Education Facilitator 2021-2024

Curation

2021- Present inter_site Collective Exhibitions

2021 Creating at a Distance, MTU Online Exhibition

2021 Ciara Chapman Art Trail Exhibition, Cork City
2019 Assistant Curator of Past Present Fota House Exhibition

Visiting Lecturers & Artist Talks

2026 PARADOX European Fine Art Forum NCAD

2026 Artist talk, Sirius Arts Centre

2026 MTU Annual Research Forum

2026 Visiting lecture, Crawford College of Art & Design

2025 MTU Annual Research Forum

2025 Artist talk, The Lab Gallery, Dublin

2023 Visiting lecture, Crawford College of Art & Design

2023 Artist talk, Pallas Projects, Dublin

2021 Visiting lecture, Crawford College of Art & Design

2021 Visiting lecture, Sample Studios

Internships

2019 Cork Craft and Design, Summer Internship
2019 Cork Arts Collective, Summer Internship with Linda Curtin