An exhibition of the work of Irish Times photographers in the final year of the last millennium, entitled Exposure99, opened in Belfast's Linenhall Library last night. The collection of images aims to show the diversity of events on the eve of the year 2000.
At the opening of the exhibition, the Irish Times managing director, Mr Nick Chapman, said Exposure99 illustrated the outstanding contribution of the staff photographers to the workings of the newspaper. "Our photographers play a major part in making The Irish Times such a special and distinctive newspaper for all our readers," he said.
"It is unusual that we still have staff photographers when everyone else is relying on agencies. Their work greatly enhances the quality of our newspaper and contributes to its integrity and independence."
He reaffirmed the newspaper's commitment to covering life in Northern Ireland in its political, security, social, economic and cultural facets. There were also plans to expand the nature of the Northern coverage. "We intend improving our coverage both for our readers in the Republic and in Northern Ireland," he said.
The chief executive of the Northern Ireland Arts Council, Ms Roisin McDonagh, said it was amazing how people were touched by the still image. "The Irish Times has put together an exhibition which documents vividly the last year of the last century in Ireland. What is most interesting about the best photographic art is how it emerges from the everyday world of newspaper journalism.
"In a world where we still expect art to be made in quietness and reflection, there is something astonishing about how it is precisely in the rush for news, in the noise and crush of packed courts or racecourses or barrooms, in the desire for the immediate news-value photograph, that so often images are made which become desirable in themselves, telling their own story and telling it better than the news item which prompted it."
Praising the "mixture of the real with the creative", Ms McDonagh said: "These are the images which draw us again and again long after their content is news, with pleasure sometimes, sometimes with horror, sometimes pity, sometimes with all those emotions at the same time."
Attendance at the opening included Mr John Thompson, Irish Times circulation manager; Ms Linda Browne, Institute of Directors; Mr Laurence McGarry, creative director of Manley's Advertising Agency; Mr John Gray, director of the Linenhall Library; Ms Bronagh Hynds, director of the Ulster People's College; and Mr Eugene McGale, director of ICCBank.
The exhibition, which has already been shown in 14 venues, continues until November 30th. The Irish Times picture editor, Mr Dermot O'Shea, said while it had been planned as a one-off event to commemorate the end of the last millennium, reactions had been so enthusiastic that there were plans to hold it annually.