Now motorway art work reflects history of settlement in the area
A recently commissioned public art work for the N8 Cashel to Mitchelstown Road was launched by the former Chairman of South Tipperary County Council, Cllr Liam Ahern. The work, Settlement by Cornelia Konrads, replaces the artwork Fish Abounding by Jarlath Daly, which has been relocated to Castle Street Car Park in Cahir.
The commission entitled Settlement was awarded to German artist Cornelia Konrads through an open competition process in which 44 submissions were received. Cornelia has an extensive portfolio of large scale public art commissions in Germany, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, USA, South Korea, Japan and Australia.
She responded to the natural landscape and architectural heritage in her work Settlement which explores the idea of ambivalence between a contemporary building and an ancient ruin.
The ruin of a small house is located in the meadow next to the road. With its simple, symmetric outline, the broad windows and the smooth rendered surface of the lower part this building refelecting an average contemporary house, but the rendering blends into a natural stone wall, which becomes more and more rough and weathered towards the top.
On the upper part, the stones even seem to loose their connection, as if the walls are about to dissolve. The idea was to create an ambivalence between a contemporary building and an ancient ruin. The concept reflects the long history of settlement in this region - the traces and relics the settlers have left in the landscape during thousands of years. Furthermore it brings into sight the fact that all our recent constructions, values and properties will once again be mysterious fragments of a forgotten past in future years. (Corneila Konrads)
The work is in the final stages of completion and will be finished by the artist later in the summer.
Fish Abounding by Jarlath Daly is a bronze salmon mounted on a stone base. The work, which was previously sited adjacent to the old N8 bypass,refers to Cahir's historical link with fishing and the ancient name of the town is Cathair-Duna-Iascaigh, translating as 'Fort of the Fortifications Abounding in Fish'.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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