Open Call | Monastery Road Public Art Commission, South Dublin County Council
South Dublin County Council (SDCC) and the National Transport Authority (NTA) invite proposals for a permanent outdoor sculptural artwork, funded through the Monastery Road Improvement Scheme.
SDCC and NTA will commission a compelling and highly visible artwork that connects thematically with the heritage of Clondalkin. The artwork will be located at a small park area with pedestrian access from Monastery Road at the new entrance to Woodford Lawn, adjacent to the Woodford Roundabout. It is hoped that the artwork will be a contemporary visual link to the important heritage of the area and contribute to a strong and unique sense of place.
Budget
The budget for the commission is €72,000 fully inclusive of VAT, all materials and all groundworks if required and installation costs.
Artist Brief:
Please read the full Artist Brief for information on how to apply and technical details: SDCC-Monastery-Road-Commission-Artist-Brief.pdf
Clondalkin Heritage
Clondalkin Village is steeped in heritage and the area has been host to many significant historical figures and battles. It is believed Clondalkin was founded by Saint Cronan Mochua as a monastic settlement on the River Camac in the late 6th or early 7th centuries. In 832 AD Vikings attacked and settled in Clondalkin. One of the early Norse kings of Dublin, Olaf the White, built a fortress on the site in the middle of the 9th century. It remained a valued Viking stronghold until the famous Battle of Clontarf in 1014 between the Vikings and Brian Boru. The heritage is visible in the historical landmarks that remain protected and part of the village, most significantly the Round Tower and Monastic Site, St Brigid’s Well and Tully’s Castle.
The heritage of the area strongly contributes to a sense of place and identity for the community of Clondalkin, as evidenced in the annual Clondalkin Heritage Week and the active community groups Clondalkin Historical Society, Rally Round the Round Tower Group, Clondalkin Tidy Towns, Friends of Camac and Munitir Cronáin. We have provided a presentation and some links to information on the local heritage in Appendix 2 to assist artists in their research.
Site Visit
Artists will have the opportunity to attend a site visit on Tuesday 10th of May at 2pm. We will be joined by Monica McGill to answer queries about Clondalkin Heritage and a member of the Monastery Road Improvement Scheme Design Team. Please register to attend the site visit by emailing shelly@visualartists.ie by Monday 9th of May.
Attending the site visit is not a requirement; queries can also be submitted by email.
For those who could not attend the Site Visit, Monica McGill has prepared some notes: Heritage-Notes-from-Site-Visit-Vikings-in-Clondalkin-1.pdf
Application Process – Stage 1
This is an open submission two stage competitive process. Stage 1 is open to any artist. It is an initial expression of interest process that will result in the shortlisting of a maximum of 5 artists who will progress to Stage 2. Artists will be paid a fee of €600 for completing the Stage 2 submission/ application process.
Artists interested in submitting expressions of interest should complete the online application form that will request the following information in text or video response:
• Summary of your proposal for the commission (max 50 words/short video recording)
• Outline of your concept and how you will approach to the commission (max 500 words/ video recording)
• Outline how you feel this proposal will connect to the Clondalkin area and heritage (max 150 words / short video recording)
• Examples of three previous projects or relevant works. Include dates and locations (max 150 words / short video recording)
• Supporting Material (upload files)
- An indication of budget breakdown
- A CV
- Early stage visualisations or technical drawings
- Images of previous work
Applications can be made via the online platform at https://sdcc.submit.com/
Closing date for submissions is 5pm on the 8th of June 2022. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Selection Panel
The Selection Panel for Stage 1 and Stage 2 will be composed from the following:
• Representative of SDCC Project/Design Team
• Representative of SDCC Parks Department
• Two Local Public Representatives
• A representative from a local community group
• Two external art experts (artist and/or curator)
• SDCC Arts Officer
Timeline
Open for Applications: 28 April 2022
Site Visit: 10 May 2022
Stage One: Deadline for applications: 8 June 2022 at 5pm
Stage Two: Deadline for Stage 2 submissions: to be confirmed following Stage 1.
Installation: Q2 2023, to be confirmed with the selected artist.
Queries
Applicants are welcome to make enquiries regarding the commission. Answers to questions of a factual nature will be shared on the application website. The administration of the application process will be managed by Visual Artists Ireland.
Queries should be sent via email to: shelly@visualartists.ie
The closing date for queries is 1 June 2022 at 5:00pm.