4me4you was delighted to experience Pallium, a striking new exhibition of paintings by Conor Harrington at Ben Brown Fine Arts.
Drawing on the visual language of the 18th century, his work looks at how authority has been staged through costume, ceremony, and symbolism, and how those same ideas still linger today, often stripped of their original meaning.
Inspired by historical re-enactments he witnessed in Bristol, Harrington saw clear parallels between people dressing up to replay the past and the way outdated power structures continue to perform themselves in modern life.
Viewing British history from an Irish perspective, his paintings gently but pointedly question what we inherit, repeat, and choose to believe.
Throughout Pallium, shadowy figures are wrapped in bunting and ermine cloaks. Bunting, usually associated with celebration, feels light and almost empty here, a symbol of unity without substance.
Ermine, once worn by royalty, carries the heavy weight of tradition and authority.
Together, they highlight power as performance: grand, familiar, and increasingly fragile.
The exhibition title, Pallium, means “cloak” in Latin and also refers to memory, hinting at Harrington’s interest in how history is worn, remembered, and retold.
Rather than glorifying the past, his work peels back its layers, inviting viewers to question the stories we continue to carry forward, and what might remain once the costume comes off.
