What’s land recycling? Read about this German example
The city of Flensburg got a grant from the regional government of Schleswig-Holstein so that it would avoid building on new land
The artwork by Sara Cunningham-Bell celebrates local culture and contributes to a sense of shared identity
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alison Gilliland will unveil on Saturday, 13 November a new symbolic sculpture by artist Sara Cunningham-Bell in Finglas' Kildonan Park, informs the city website. What makes the occasion extra-newsworthy is that the seven-metre-tall sculpture has been created in close collaboration with the local people of this outer suburb of Dublin.
THE BRIDGE: Fiacha Dhubha Fhionglaise ar Foluain (Finglas Ravens Soar) comprises two figures with arms high in the air, holding a mirrored steel ‘river rug’ that is interwoven with symbols and signs of Finglas life.
The central shape of the artwork and the choice of materials are the product of public consultation with a number of pre-set requirements. These are:
‘The Bridge’ in the title is drawn from local suggestions (and there have been over 70 of them), and ‘Finglas Ravens Soar’ is inspired by Rachael Hegarty’s poem, ‘Flight Paths Over Finglas’.
In the sculpture’s texture historical references abound - from the 9th century Nethercross in St. Canice’s Graveyard, to the ‘Claíomh Solais’ (Sword of Light) designed by local artist Una Watters to mark the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising, the armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916.
The sculpture pays homage to Eliza Wollstonecraft Bishop, an advocate of female education in the early 1800s, and Sophie Pierce-Healy, a celebrated pilot of the 1920s, pictured flying her plane ‘The Silver Lining’ at Kildonan Aerodrome, Ireland’s first commercial airport. The artwork incorporates the word ‘Finglas’ written in the Early Medieval Ogham alphabet, and its title holds a reference to the Norse black raven, associated with Viking Dublin.
Present-day life in the neighbourhood is also represented. The commissioned sculpture includes visual references to the artistic and sporting life of the locality; from the Uilleann Piper, Séamus Ennis and contemporary rap artist, Temper-Mental MissElayneous, to popular sports like hurling, football and boxing and park pastimes, such as running and dog-walking.
The outline of faces and figures of local people – epitomizing those who gave insight and clues to Sara Cunningham-Bell over the past year - have been engraved into the body of the sculpture. This gesture is seen as celebrating the ‘unsung heroes’ of everyday life – wives, mothers, parents, grandparents, community activists, care workers – people who symbolise the often unnoticed behind-the-scenes work that enriches homes and neighbourhoods not only in Ireland.
Throughout the year, hundreds of local residents have engaged with Sculpture Dublin and the Kildonan Park commission by responding to online surveys, questionnaires and calls for ideas. They also took part in over 40 creative workshops, focus groups, public meetings and other activities.
No doubt, all of them are expected to be present at the public launch of the sculpture in Kildonan Park tomorrow at 2pm. The event will feature performances by Finglas artists, the Ní Anglais Irish Dancers and The Forever Young Chorus.
The goal is to preserve these traditional features in the urban landscape while finding new purpose for their existence
His name is Adrian-Dragoș Benea from Romania
Find out her vision for the next five years and what’s in store for the European Union
Gotland wants to be at the forefront of this emerging mobility technology
It’s all about preventing the habit of slowing down just for the radar
Landkreis Heilbronn will also enlist the help of sensors to identify incorrectly filled organic trash bins
Apparently, that makes it the most progressive city in that respect in all of Finland
Residents couldn’t handle the noise pollution anymore
The Old Continent gets ready for the largest festival of sports
Apparently, that makes it the most progressive city in that respect in all of Finland
The goal is to preserve these traditional features in the urban landscape while finding new purpose for their existence
Residents couldn’t handle the noise pollution anymore
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
An interview with the Mayor of a Polish city that seeks to reinvent itself
An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö
A conversation with the Mayor of Lisbon about the spirit and dimensions of innovation present in the Portuguese capital