Title of artwork: Knock, Knock
Artist: Jane Talbot
Year: 2006
Commissioner: Galway City Council
Funder: Per Cent for Arts Scheme
Per Cent for Arts Location: Galway City
How do you capture the spirit of a street? Not just its buildings and architecture, but its people—their stories, their histories, their evolving identities?
Knock, Knock, a photography project by artist Jane Talbot, is a striking exploration of community, identity, and change within a small but significant area of Galway City. Commissioned under the Per Cent for Art Scheme, the project documents a single street and its residents, creating a powerful visual record of continuity and transformation.
Originally exhibited at Galway Arts Centre in 2006, Knock, Knock attracted the highest exhibition audience figures that year. Today, it remains an important piece of Galway’s cultural history, housed in the Galway City Council collection and exhibited every decade at Galway City Museum.
Inspiration
As a citizen of a rapidly growing Galway, Jane Talbot was drawn to the idea of documenting change within what was traditionally perceived as an “old” part of the city. The terraced housing of The West, just 90 years old, has been home to multiple generations of families, with descendants of its original occupants still living in the area. But alongside these deep-rooted histories, Galway—like Ireland as a whole—has evolved into an increasingly multicultural society.
Talbot’s project emerged from a simple but powerful approach: she knocked on doors. House by house, she gathered portraits of every man, woman, and child willing to participate, creating a multi-layered photographic record of the street as it stood in 2006.
“People talk of ‘Old Galway’ but in fact the terraced housing in The West is only about 90 years old,” notes Talbot. “There are now third and even fourth-generation descendants of the original occupants living here. I believe if it had been possible to do Knock, Knock in 1920, we might be looking at many of the same faces we are looking at today.”
Process
At the heart of Knock, Knock is community engagement. The project is more than a series of photographs—it is an assembly of individuals, a collective portrait of a neighbourhood. Talbot moved from house to house, including every resident who wished to participate, ensuring that no one was left out of this living archive.
Each photograph captures a unique household, but together, they form a larger statement about community, identity, and migration. Arranged in chronological order for the exhibition, the images allowed audiences to take a virtual tour of the street, experiencing its rich character and evolving demographic makeup.
The final body of work speaks to the universal nature of community while reflecting the specific reality of Galway in the early 21st century—a place where long-standing family histories coexist with new multicultural influences.
Collaboration
A core element of public art commissions is ensuring that the work resonates with the community it represents. Knock, Knock embodies this principle through its direct involvement with the people of Galway’s West End.
Unlike traditional public art projects that might take the form of a sculpture or mural, Knock, Knock exists as a photographic and social document—one that gains significance over time. It captures not only the people who lived there in 2006 but also the broader themes of urban evolution, migration, and social cohesion.
The work has been preserved within Galway City Council’s art collection and will be exhibited every ten years at Galway City Museum, ensuring that each new generation can reflect on the past and present of this vibrant community.
About the artist
Originally from Donegal, Jane Talbot has been deeply involved in the arts since joining Macnas in 1987. Her work spans theatre, visual arts, and community-driven projects, with a strong focus on social engagement and storytelling.
Her past projects include Cullairbaun Community Album, a photographic documentation of an Athenry housing estate, and The Red Handbag, an artistic exploration of women’s lives through the symbolic lens of their handbags. She has also performed A Woman Alone by Dario Fo in Manchester and at the Galway Theatre Festival. Talbot’s work continues to explore the intersections of identity, place, and social change.
Legacy
Knock, Knock is both a visual time capsule and a reflection of how a city—and a nation—evolves. As a Per Cent for Arts commission, it highlights the potential of public art to engage with social history, foster community participation, and create lasting cultural records.
By revisiting the work every decade, Galway City ensures that Knock, Knock remains a living, breathing portrait of its people. The project serves as a reminder that the essence of a place is not just in its buildings, but in the faces, stories, and connections that shape it.