Launch: Saturday 12th September 1pm-3pm

Dates: 12th September – 31st October 2026

Gallery: Upper Gallery

The exhibition presents Paul Seawright’s iconic Sectarian Murder series, which revisits sites of sectarian killings in Belfast through understated photographs and edited newspaper reports, exploring the enduring legacy of violence, memory, and identity during the Troubles.

Seawright revisited and photographed the sites of Sectarian attacks during the 1970’s close to where the artist grew up in Belfast. The texts accompanying each photograph are from newspaper reports at the time and document the murders of innocent civilians, killed for their perceived religion. Reference to Protestant or Catholic background was removed from the text.

Seawright is best known for his alternative visual analysis of locations and subjects dominated by mainstream media. His photographs are devoid of obvious drama but loaded with implicit tension. In 2002 he was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum London to respond to the war in Afghanistan and his photographs of battle-sites and minefields have subsequently been exhibited worldwide.

The iconic Sectarian Murder series is one of his earlier works, and has been exhibited in more than 20 countries, including at Tate Britain, Planet Parr in Munich and Paris, The Troubles Archive OBG Belfast, the British Council Collection exhibition at London Whitechapel Gallery. The series was part of a major exhibition of Seawright’s work entitled ‘Anxious Landscape’ here at the Golden Thread Gallery in 2008.

This work was purchased for the Golden Thread Gallery Collection thanks to support from the Ampersand Foundation.

About the Artist

Paul Seawright was born in Belfast 1965 and is currently Professor of Photography and Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Ulster. His photographs have been exhibited worldwide and are held many museum collections including The Tate, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, International Centre of Photography New York and the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

Accessibility 

The Upper Gallery is accessed via wheelchair accessible lift or by the stairwell.

Large print versions of exhibition texts are available.

Access videos of the gallery are available on our website here, with BSL and ISL signed versions.

Please let us know if you have any questions or additional requirements, we are working hard to make the gallery as accessible as possible for everyone.

Golden Thread Gallery is proud to hold an Arts & Disability Access Award 2025 Venue Accreditation. 

Golden Thread Gallery is supported by: