City Routes: A Deep Mapping of Dublin’s Central Library

It’s not often an artist will come to the library and propose to create an exhibition on its users and staff.  Who wouldn’t want to be the focus of that kind of a proposal? Over the last two years, the artist Silvia Loeffler whose practice concerns itself with mapping interactions was inspired by the creative possibilities of the Central Library, the busiest public library in Dublin city. 

Conversations developed between the library staff and the artist as they unpicked the resource that is the Central library, a free uninhibited space of learning and culture used by the citizens of the city and visitors for over thirty five years. Excited by the proposal, the artist has reflected on the confluence of the library, shifts in technology and diversity of users all set against the lively backdrop of Moore Street, Parnell Street and Henry Street.  

What’s even more attractive about this installation is that the library staff themselves are thrilled to be part of the process, shaping the concepts and outlining the practicalities of how the exhibition can be achieved in a non-tactile approach. As Silvia herself commented, “I like to work with community members to create layered, site-specific installations which honour the participants’ sense of ‘their place’ and their emotional responses to their work/home environment.” 

In recognition for this sort of co-operation, the Arts Council’s Artist in the Community Scheme managed by Create has continued to support the process with a Project Realisation Award following a Research Award received earlier in 2020. It is hoped that the exhibition can be viewed later in 2021 onsite   (government guidelines permitting) and/or online. It promises a trail of concepts, narratives, connections of purpose, and sharing of space; in addition library users themselves will have a chance to contribute to it. Keep an eye out on the Central Library’s Facebook page for updates. 

Curated by the artist in partnership with Dublin City Libraries, the project is funded by the Arts Council Artist in the Community Scheme, and managed by Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts.

Over the last two years, the artist Silvia Loeffler, whose practice concerns itself with mapping interactions, was inspired by the creative possibilities of the Central Library, the busiest public library in Dublin city. Conversations developed between the library staff and the artist as they unpicked the resource that is the Central library, a free uninhibited space of learning and culture used by the citizens of the city and visitors, for over 35 years. The artist has reflected on the confluence of the library, shifts in technology and diversity of users, all set against the lively backdrop of Moore Street, Parnell Street and Henry Street.  

Silvia Loeffler is an artist, researcher and educator who works across disciplines to map the psychology of a space and its people. She works with community members to create layered, site-specific installations that honour the participants’ sense of their place and their emotional responses to their environment. The installations are held together by map fragments, personal narratives and images of past and present to discuss the cultural and socio-economic changes of an area and its effects on the community. 

The artists previous projects include her postdoctoral work ‘Glas Journal: A Deep Mapping of Dún Laoghaire Harbour’, funded by the Irish Research Council (2014-16), and ‘Transit Gateway: A Deep Mapping of Dublin Port’ (2017-18), funded by Dublin Port Company.