Pictured (l-r) at Dublin Port are the first Port Perspectives artists commissioned to create public artworks, Cliona Harmey, Sheelagh Broderick, Business to Arts CEO Andrew Hetherington, Dublin Port CEO Eamonn O’Reilly, Alice Butler, Daniel Fitzpatrick, Silvia Loeffler.

Business to Arts and Dublin Port Company today announced the artists commissioned to create a series of site-specific public artworks in response to Dublin Port and its relationship with the City.

New works by Sheelagh Broderick, Silvia Loeffler and AEMI & Cliona Harmey will be unveiled at sites and on structures within Dublin Port over the coming months. This is the latest development from Port Perspectives, Dublin Port’s arts commissioning series for 2017, aimed at strengthening the bond between Dublin Port and the City and bringing Dublin Port to new audiences through the arts.

First is Sheelagh Broderick’s ‘Great Wall Walks’, which looks to create a link between Dublin Port Workers and Dublin Port Walkers, i.e. between those who work at the Port and those who use its environs for recreational purposes. Based at the new Seafarers’ Centre on Alexandra Road, international seafarers arriving at Dublin Port will be invited to collaborate with Sheelagh on creating a series of audio guides to their home towns and cities. The audio will be available to download and highlighted to walkers on the Great South Wall, encouraging local walkers to connect with the world of the international port worker. Launching on May 1^st, Sheelagh’s project brings an inclusive and international dimension to the series, celebrating multi-culturalism and social diversity at the heart of port life. An accompanying event will follow on International Seafarers’ Day (June 25^th). 

Meanwhile, the work of Silvia Loeffler will unfold in a number of phases during the summer. Silvia Loeffler’s ‘Transit Gateway: A Deep Mapping of Dublin Port’ will document the transitional changes in the shape of Dublin Port, from its medieval shoreline to modern day configuration. In collaboration with partners and the local community, Silvia will work for the next nine months on artistic cartography to show the changing connections of the city and how the port has acted as a gateway, creating a vital connection for the city with the wider world. Her work will go on display in the Terminal 1 building at Dublin Port, and a seminar will be held each month to mirror the nine phases of the mapping process. The seminars will take place in the last week of each month at the LAB Gallery on Foley Street, Dublin 2 and places can be booked online through Eventbrite.

In September, audiences can look forward to AEMI & Cliona Harmey’s ‘port | river| city’. This project will research and co-curate a season of artist, experimental, and archive moving-image artworks that interrogate and reflect on ports and their environs. Their collaborative project comprises a series of cinematic screenings as well as site-specific installations across a number of strategically chosen locations in the city. With the use of a mobile field cinema, audiences can expect screenings from early September for a three-week period.

Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company, said:

“We were overwhelmed by the response and calibre of projects submitted following our open call last September. Dublin Port is delighted to commission original new works from three exceptionally talented artists, whose projects bring the history, social fabric and industrial setting of Dublin Port to life in new ways – not just for those who work at Dublin Port, but for all who visit and especially for those who have yet to venture this far. We look forward to seeing the artists’ works evolve over the summer, and to deepening the dialogue about Dublin as a Port City.”

Andrew Hetherington, Chief Executive, Business to Arts said:

“With these three new artworks, Dublin Port’s considerable role developing Dublin will be reinterpreted and presented through arts, film and sound. They will provide a new layer of context to the complex themes of movement, migration, global links and local industry and how people relate to Ports today. The three projects were exceptionally well researched and reflect many years of artistic practice by those selected.”

Sean McGrath, CEO, Allianz Ireland, Helene Hugel, Artistic Director, Helium Arts & Andrew Hetherington, CEO, Business to Arts at the launch of the 2017 Allianz Business to Arts Awards. Picture by Shane O’Neill Photography

Today marks the launch of the 2017 Allianz Business to Arts Awards Call for Nominations. Both Allianz and Business to Arts are highlighting the unique opportunities that business engagement with the arts provides and are encouraging businesses and arts partners across Ireland to share their creative partnership stories.

This year marks the 26^th anniversary of the Allianz Business to Arts Awards and Allianz’s 17^th anniversary of involvement and sponsorship of the awards. The success of the Awards has developed considerably over recent years and with economic growth set to continue, there is even greater opportunity for further partnership between business and the arts.

A new online application system has been devised to accommodate the ever increasing entries received.

Sean McGrath, CEO of Allianz Ireland, said:

“We are always honored to be associated with the Business to Arts Awards. We believe that both businesses and the arts community benefit tremendously from collaborating and working together. The partnership inspires creativity, promotes understanding and enhances the presence of businesses in the wider communities that they serve.

With the economy continuing to grow strongly we believe there is enhanced scope for businesses across Ireland to really engage with the arts community and to build on the strong legacy that has been created by Business to Arts over the years.’’

Andrew Hetherington, Chief Executive of Business to Arts said:

“The Allianz Business to Arts Awards identify and celebrate best practice creative partnerships between business and the arts. It is fantastic to witness the increasing creativity, innovation and hard-work demonstrated by the various nominations from all over Ireland.

2016 saw Irish culture represented on a world stage. Many of the cultural commemorative activities that took place would not have been possible without the partnerships involving Irish artists, businesses and other agencies working together. As we look to the future and the evolving funding patterns in the cultural sector across earned income, public funding and private investment it makes the celebration and recognition of world-class partnerships more important than ever”

Closing date for applications is Monday, May 8th 2017 at 5pm. Click here for information on the entry process and to complete the online entry form.