A Better City (A.B.C) 2024
Published on 11th March 2024
A spectacular outdoor gallery featuring six artists launches in Dublin 8 as part of St. Patrick’s Festival
The initiative has been supported by the Guinness Storehouse, The Digital Hub & Dublin City Council
A Better City (A.B.C), a spectacular outdoor gallery featuring works by six artists will be launched in Dublin 8 as part of St. Patrick’s Festival 2024. This incredible new street art initiative has been created with the Guinness Storehouse in partnership with The Digital Hub and Dublin City Council and will be open to all passersby to enjoy from 15th March 2024 for three months.
The outdoor gallery showcases new large-scale murals and printed works across the architectural nooks and crannies and unused sites of Thomas Street, Crane Street and Market Street - celebrating the values of joy and community that runs through the St. Patrick’s Festival programme. Spectators are encouraged to follow the trail and discover new artworks along the way.
A Better City 2024 has been curated by Good Shout Studio, a Dublin 8-based creative studio. The featured artists are Claire Prouvost, Sophia Vigne Welsh, Mark Conlan, Ruan van Vliet, Bebhinn Eilish & Gavin Connell. All of the works uniquely interpret ‘Spréach’ (Spark), the theme of St. Patrick’s Festival 2024.
Along Thomas Street, Claire Prouvost’s bold dancing characters celebrate the joy and energy of the community; Sophia Vigne’s abstract work signals the forthcoming spring; and Ruan van Vliet’s playful characters explore the modern day cowboys of Dublin 8.
Around the corner Crane Street, Bebhinn Eilis’s panels honour the ancient goddesses of Ireland and Gavin Connell’s tongue in cheek illustrations poke fun at Irish sayings. Turning onto Market Street, Mark Conlan has taken classical Dublin 8 architectural landmarks and breathed a spark of whimsical nature around them.
To celebrate the launch of A Better City 2024 and tie all of the works together, writer and actor Emmet Kirwan has been commissioned to create a new piece of spoken word poetry, inspired by the festival’s theme of ‘Spréach’. Visitors to A Better City can access the poem and accompanying film by scanning a QR code included in the artworks.
A Better City 2024 aims to contribute to the revitalisation of the neighborhood in Dublin 8. It will build on the community’s reputation as a destination for both Irish and international visitors to Dublin by breathing colour and vibrancy to the area surrounding the Guinness Storehouse and The Digital Hub through commissioning established and emerging artists from Ireland and further afield.
Speaking about the initiative, St. Patrick’s Festival CEO Richard Tierney said “We’re thrilled to be involved in this initiative with Guinness Storehouse, The Digital Hub and Dublin City Council in one of the most cherished parts of our city. St Patrick’s Festival is about creating moments where we can celebrate that Spréach or spark that makes us unique. This project does exactly that, putting a spotlight on that essential spark and colour of our people, right on the streets of Dublin”.
Catherine Toolan, Managing Director, Diageo Ireland Brand Homes, added: “Accessibility for the creation and consumption of creative arts in Ireland is something we passionately support at the Guinness Storehouse. We are proud to partner with St. Patrick’s Festival, Dublin City Council, and our neighbours at The Digital Hub, together lending our spaces as canvasses to these 6 extremely talented artists. Their original artworks will be viewed by thousands on one of the busiest tourism weekends of the year and will bring even more colour to the community we are proud to call home.”
Fiach Mac Conghail, The Digital Hub CEO said: “The Digital Hub Development Agency is delighted to be collaborating with St Patrick’s Festival and the Guinness Storehouse in celebrating and animating the streets of Dublin 8. This part of the city is already recognised for its wonderful creativity, and we expect this fantastic initiative to add yet more vibrancy to the community. The Liberties has benefitted from extensive redevelopment in recent years, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate closely with our stakeholders, including the Land Development Agency, to redevelop the area, foster innovation and provide support to those living and working in this great neighbourhood.”
Siobhán Maher, Dublin City Council spokesperson for the project, said “Dublin City Council continues to seek opportunities to deliver unique experiences and animate our city in partnership with City stakeholders. This project does just that. Dublin 8 in an area steeped in heritage but also a hotbed of new art and culture reflecting our modern city. We hope this accessible art project will appeal to all.”
Ciara Sugrue, Head of Festivals, Fáilte Ireland commented: “Fáilte Ireland is proud to support A Better City 2024 which is a fantastic addition to this year’s St Patrick’s Festival. Ireland is renowned worldwide for our arts, culture and creativity. The exhibition will be a vibrant celebration of community and creativity that will bring the very essence of 'Spréach' to life in the heart of Dublin. Infusing our historic streets with even more art and colour will give both locals and visitors the very best experience of our city as we mark our national holiday.”
The outdoor gallery is open to all and will remain on display until the end of May 2024. For more information on A Better City 2024 and to see the commemorative film, see https://stpatricksfestival.ie/events/a-better-city
St. Patrick’s Festival is made possible through the continued support of the Government of Ireland, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Fáilte Ireland, Dublin City Council and many generous partners and funders.