Open Tuesdays - Saturdays, noon - 6pm

Friday 19th June - Saturday 12th September

Where?

Centre for Contemporary Art, Derry ~ Londonderry 10-12, Artillery St, BT48 6RG

Venue access information is available here https://www.ccadld.org/accessibility

For Christopher Steenson’s solo exhibition All I see is the present, the artist combines sound photography, installation and archival material to explore the ways in which moments from prehistory can be used as a gateway to the present. The exhibition is the first manifestation of the artist’s long-term engagement with research exploring the prehistoric past of the island of Ireland.

A centrepiece of this exhibition is a new installation The Dragon’s Teeth (2026), which takes its inspiration from the Beaghmore Stone Circles and Alignments, located in the heart of the artist’s native home of East Tyrone. The impetus for this work comes from the artist’s research into the archaeology archives of HERoNI (Historic Environment Record of Northern Ireland). This research unearthed a moment in 1977 when A.E.P. Collins (Senior Inspector of the Archeological Survey of Northern Ireland) invited Archie Thom (the son of then renowned archeo-astronomer Alexander Thom) to conduct an astronomical survey of Beaghmore, to uncover the celestial functions of the site. This moment is used to construct a fictional conversation between Collins and Thom, wherein these two men, in the later years of their life, attempt to discuss the meaning of Beaghmore as a prehistoric site. Inspired by Brian Friel’s Making History (1989), the work searches for understandings of why we attempt to interpret the past, and how these interpretations are inevitably shaped and informed by the predicaments of the present.

Christopher’s interest in teasing apart the tensions between tenses plays out elsewhere in the exhibition with a series of analogue photographs taken while volunteering for the past two years on an ongoing archaeological dig. In these photographs, moments from the excavation resemble a construction site more than a place of study. For the artist, the photographs document the point where objects that have been buried and confined to the past are unearthed and become uncanny participants in the present.

The artist draws parallels between megalith builders and political activists. A film made by Derry filmmaker Vinny Cunningam (1966–2025) in September 1994 shows a group of men moving concrete bollards (sometimes referred to as ‘dragon’s teeth’) from a border road outside Derry. Presented alongside colour photographs of wedge tombs situated along Ireland south-west coast, the acts of dismantlement seen in Vinny’s film oddly mirror – what we can imagine to be – the acts of construction used by megalith builders from the island’s prehistoric past. The film’s sound track is overlaid with a new spatial sound work, titled The Movers (2026), featuring voices of people involved in helping to make the exhibition All I see is the present.

An In Conversation between Artist Christopher Steenson and Historian Dr Brian Lacey moderated by CCA Director Catherine Hemelryk will take place on Saturday 20 June 2026 from 2pm as part of Heritage Month across Derry City & Strabane District.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Centre for Contemporary Art, Derry City & Strabane District Council, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Arts Council of Ireland, The Elephant Trust, Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive.

About CCA Derry~Londonderry: 

The Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) is a publicly funded space within the historic city walls of Derry~Londonderry. CCA creates opportunities for audiences to experience ambitious, experimental and engaging art and for emerging artists to develop successful careers. CCA fosters a wide range of artistic, curatorial and critical practices through five programme streams: research and production, exhibition- making, public programmes, publishing and residencies. CCA was a Finalist in Art Fund Museum of the Year 2021, the largest museum prize in the world. CCA was recognised for its resilience and adaptability throughout the pandemic, and their continued effort to support audiences and artists including creating paid opportunities for artists and freelancers when they needed it most. CCA is a member of Plus Tate: Plus Tate is a network, which comprises 35 cultural institutions – including the Tate galleries – that have strong artistic vision, a focus on contemporary art, outstanding public programming and a commitment to local community engagement through art. Plus Tate aims to support the development of the visual arts across the UK.

Image credit: Christopher Steenson