Sculpture Dublin

Sculpture Dublin is a Dublin City Council initiative that aims to raise awareness of Dublin’s sculptural heritage and to commission a series of new works through open and invited competitions. In 2021, six new sculptures will be created for the city—five permanent works and a temporary installation for the O’Connell Plinth outside City Hall.

All of the new commissions will benefit from public engagement programmes designed to raise awareness of the commissioning process; to promote interest and engagement with existing works, and to involve people in shaping and animating the spaces created for public art. 

Local
Sculpture in your area

The local engagement programme is structured around each new commission. We are connecting with schools and community organisations, local history societies and libraries in each locality through surveys, talks and workshops to extend the commissioning process into a space of participation and experimentation. Visual Artists Ireland has programmed a series of online Sculpture Cafés bringing together artists and local people to exchange views and explore the value of public art.

City-wide
Sculpture in the city 

The city-wide public engagement programme has been developed with our partners and includes articles on Irish sculpture published on the Sculpture Dublin website with permission from the Royal Irish Academy; information on sculpture collections held by a range of public institutions in Dublin; details of temporary sculpture exhibitions showing in museums, galleries and studios across the city, and events including a monthly VTS* Sculpture Club at the Hugh Lane Gallery and a series of online lectures by Professor Paula Murphy, filmed in City Hall, which explore public sculpture in Dublin from different viewpoints.

International
Sculpture Dublin was very pleased to see strong international interest in the commissioning opportunities, with 27% of the submissions received for the open competitions from artists based outside of Ireland. For the land artwork that will be commissioned for St. Anne’s Park through a limited competition, an international panel of nominators has been agreed including Barbara Dawson, Annie Fletcher, Katerina Gregos and Lisa Le Feuvre. 

Stay in touch
Sculpture Dublin will make a series of announcements over the coming months—the commissioned artists, a new developmental sculpture award (in partnership with The LAB Gallery and Fire Station Studios) and our plans for International Sculpture Day on April 24, 2021. For further information about the programme, please visit our website, sign up for our newsletter or connect with us through social.

*VTS  (Visual Thinking Strategies) is a research-based teaching methodology that supports learner-centred thinking and feeling when looking at art objects

For press enquiries or further information, please contact Astrid Newman at info@sculpturedublin.ie