Blackout, 2025
UPVC

Transforming the porch of his Hastings home into a reflective space, Martin reimagines its windows with graphics reminiscent of convenience store façades, merging the layered aesthetics of English shop fronts with the contents of West Belfast corner shops he grew up around. Drawing upon the legacy of these spaces during The Troubles (a period of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland from 1968 – 1998), his work explores the intersection of memory, commerce, and refuge.

These shops were not just commercial spaces but essential lifelines for communities navigating curfews, blackouts, and street violence. During periods of heightened unrest, many stores were forced to close early, leaving families reliant on informal house-shops. The title Blackout references these enforced curfews, power cuts, and the visual obstruction of security shutters, symbols of both protection and imposed control.

Martin’s familial ties to this history run deep, with his grandfather and great-grandfather operating corner shops in West Belfast throughout this turbulent era. Blackout not only pays homage to these resilient community spaces but also explores the complex interplay between public and private realms, commerce, and identity. By situating the installation within his own home, Martin invites viewers to reflect on how façades, both literal and metaphorical, shape our perceptions and experiences.

The exhibition press release can be downloaded from HERE!