New Exhibition at the Dublin Port Substation: Soft Values of Seaports

21 July 2025

Dublin Port Company is proud to launch a new exhibition exploring the cultural, artistic, and historical impact of the port on the city and its people.

This exhibition marks ten years since the restoration of the Diving Bell Museum – Dublin Port’s first major Soft Values project and the beginning of a decade of sustained public engagement. Over 1.5m people have visited the Diving Bell Museum on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay since 2015.

The exhibition brings together highlights from a decade’s worth of artistic, historic, built heritage and cultural projects supported by Dublin Port Company as part of its ongoing Port City Integration programme.

Lar Joye, Port Heritage Director commented on the origins of this programme, “In 2006 Eric Van Hooydonk of the University of Antwerp wrote a ground breaking book on the Soft Values of Seaports making a plea for soft value management by Port Authorities.

This was to the lead in 2010 to the European Sea Ports Organisations (ESPO) Code of Practice on Societal Integration of Ports which called on European Ports to develop co-operative synergies with their cities.

Dublin Port took this to heart and built upon this ESPO initiative with our own, ensuring we bring make the most of the historical and cultural importance of Dublin Port.”

From art installations, performances, and educational talks, through to industrial heritage conservation, oral histories, and archaeology Dublin Port continues to bring these soft values to life.

Come visit the exhibition in the Substation from Wednesdays to Saturdays, 11am to 3pm from 23rd July till 11th October 2025