Announcement – Infrastructure Public Art Programme 2018 – 2021 Awards 9 new Commissions for Fingal
Press Release
Monday 25 June 2018
Fingal County Council’s Public Art Programme 2018-2021 announces 9 major commissions to line up of artists. Five of the nine commissions awarded under Infrastructure – Fingal’s Public Art Programme 2018-2012 were given to artists from Fingal.
The art programme which is predominantly funded through the Government’s Per Cent for Art scheme is valued at €400,000 and is co-curated by Fingal County Council’s Public Art Co-ordinator, Caroline Cowley and Independent Curator, Aisling Prior. In 2017, they conducted a countywide consultation to deliver the most appropriate creative brief for emerging artists to respond to which resulted in nine being awarded nationally.
There were almost 300 submissions to the open call and three selection phases have been conducted for the Infrastructure commissions. The selection processes featured the expertise of curators, Aisling Prior and Caroline Cowley, academics, Declan Long and Valerie Connor, local public representatives and a range of specialist staff drawn from Fingal County Council’s Community, Heritage, Cultural and Planning departments. The selection processes resulted in nine commissions being awarded to some of Ireland’s most exciting and respected emerging and established artists, all of whom demonstrate an inspiring energy and unique imagination as to how they will make innovative and challenging artworks over the coming three years.
The nine commissions will unfold throughout the county under two categories: “Public Art Awards” and “Co-Productions”.
The “Public Art Awards” projects demonstrate a high level of artistic excellence, innovation and ambition for Fingal. The “Co-Productions” category includes artists who work collaboratively with specific Fingal community groups or a new community of interest.
A third aspect of the Infrastructure commissioning programme sees artists making artworks for and in the built environment. Internationally acclaimed artist Corban Walker will be making a sculptural installation for the landscaped areas in the new housing development at Hamilton Park in Dublin 15.
Artists selected under the “Public Art Awards” are John Byrne, Sarah Browne and Adam Gibney (Fingal) and under the “Co- Productions” category we selected, Declan Gorman (Fingal), Anthony Haughey and the Migrant Collective (Balbriggan), Michelle Hall (Blanchardstown ), Gareth Kennedy, Yvonne McGuinness (Malahide) and Aoife Dunne (Blanchardstown).
The commissions are across many contemporary artforms including theatre, film, virtual reality and digital art, performance, engaged and expanded practice and literature. Each of the art commissions will align with local communities in new and meaningful ways and will engage with current issues from across the county, to deliver a rich profile of Fingal as it is now.
Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Anthony Lavin said: “I’m delighted to see five talented artists from Fingal being included in the selection process for the Infrastructure Art Programme. It is a testament to the value of the supports developed and that have been put in place by the Fingal County Council’s Arts Office over the past number of years.”
Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, Paul Reid said: “Arts are an extremely important part to Fingal’s culture and identity. This programme is an investment into the talent and creativity that exists across our county and I am delighted to see it being supported and developed.”
For more details on Infrastructure and for our updates visit www.fingalarts.ie/infrastructure
For further information, please contact press@fingal.ie or Caroline Cowley, Fingal County Council Public Art Co-Ordinator; 01 870 8449 or 087 120 1924 Caroline.cowley@fingal.ie