Visual Artists’ Café | Sculpture Dublin: Introducing the O’Connell Plinth – City Hall (26 Jan)

This is the second of six Visual Artists’ Cafés that will bring together artists, arts organisations and audiences, and connect them with local projects.

This Café introduces the O’Connell Plinth – City Hall and the immediate vicinity of the second Sculpture Dublin commission. The winning commission will be presented at the event.

You will hear artists give insight into their working practices, learn about work they may be currently developing in their studios, and hear how research plays an integral role in developing new sculpture.

You will hear experienced arts professionals discuss the roles they play in supporting artists and in how sculpture is experienced by audiences.

We will also be hearing from local projects and initiatives that are taking place in the locality of the commission sites and engage in discussion about what impact the sculpture commissions will have in the area.

The O’Connell Plinth stands outside City Hall on Dame Street, where it is passed by tens of thousands of pedestrians and road-users each day. City Hall was originally built as the Royal Exchange, Dublin’s main centre of trading and commerce in the eighteenth century. It has been the seat of the capital city’s local government since it was purchased and renamed by the City Corporation (now Dublin City Council) in the early 1850s.

The O’Connell Plinth was originally constructed to support the monumental statue of Daniel O’Connell – ‘The Liberator’ – by John Hogan, that is now located in the Rotunda in City Hall. The plinth is made up of six blocks of Dalkey granite, with mouldings at the base and top, and is located at street level in a paved area leading to the main entrance of City Hall.

The speakers confirmed for the event are:

• Karen Downey, Programme Director at Sculpture Dublin
• Helen Pheby, Head of Curatorial Programme at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
• Alan Phelan (Commissioned Artist)

This event is held in partnership with Sculpture Dublin

26 January 2021, 3pm to 4.30pm.