Retrofits by John Rainey
16th April - 22nd May
Townhall Arts Centre Gallery
Retrofits by John Rainey
To retrofit is to modify something made in another time, adapting it to function under new conditions. In this new solo exhibition created for the Townhall Arts Centre, John Rainey adopts this logic of reuse - cutting into, combining, and reworking familiar forms from the history of sculpture to reflect contemporary pressures, values, and ways of seeing.
Tuesday to Friday (10am to 4pm)
Saturday (11am to 4pm)
In Retrofits, figures shift between references, forming hybrid configurations that disrupt expectations of classical sculpture. Human and animal elements merge, creating figures shaped by transition and uncertainty. Rather than presenting fixed ideals, the sculptures propose bodies formed through adaptation, defined by their capacity to shift, combine, and take new form.
John Rainey is a sculptor based in Belfast. He graduated from the Royal College of Art, London, in 2012 with an MA in Ceramics and Glass. Previous solo exhibitions include: ‘Errors’ at Berg Gallery (Stockholm, 2025), ‘Decoys and Ghosts’ at Golden Thread Gallery (Belfast, 2025) and ‘SLIP TANK’ at the Naughton Gallery (Belfast, 2021). His sculptures are held in public collections including the UK Government Art Collection, the Irish National Collection (Crawford Art Gallery), the Irish State Collection (OPW), the Ulster Museum, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Collection.
This exhibition will use NaviLens to support accessible visitor information.
Join our Mailing List
Keep in touch with all the festival activities and upcoming shows in Cavan.
Official Cavan Arts Festival Programme 2026
A magical four days & nights of art & culture in the heart of Cavan Town