Peter Fischli and David Weiss, who live in Zurich, have worked together since 1979, and in the intervening years have taken their place among the most influential artists working today. They have exhibited in major museums all over the world, and in 2006 there was a retrospective exhibition of their work at Tate Modern, London. This is their first solo show in Ireland.

The small monochrome photographs in the exhibition - 375 displayed on tables, 18 on the walls - were taken a few years ago in fairgrounds and amusement parks. Their intimate scale and sombre tonality turn the banal images into something much more personal, dark, and humourous.

The subjects of the photographs are deeply rooted in vernacular western culture: including mythological scenes, fairy tales, animals, landcapes, and spaceships, they would be unremarkable and commonplace in their original context. In that light, there is something taxonomical about the artists' use of this material (an approach that is common in their work), which makes the viewer feel that the images are being analysed, examined, and presented with detachment. On the other hand, their dark intimacy, as well as the curious cropping of many of the paintings, seem to return the images to their archetypal roots. The tension in this opposition accounts for much of the impact of the Fotografias.

The Douglas Hyde Gallery warmly thanks the artists and Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, for their help in arranging this exhibition. We are also grateful to Pro Helvetia, Swiss Arts Council for their financial assistance.