Elena Coden explains the importance of queer art in public spaces and some of the important pieces of queer art that have popped up in Dublin city.
From sculptures, fountains, graffiti, stickers, and murals- all can be considered forms of public art. It could be argued that public art is the most anarchic of all; unlike other forms of art which are often institutionalised by being put in museums, public art is freely accessible and enjoyable to everyone. It escapes the necessary monetisation of experience derived from capitalism. The reality, however, is a bit more complex. Only a very small amount of public art is actually free from regulations, or doesn’t need an institutions’ approval.
It could be argued that public art is the most anarchic of all; unlike other forms of art which are often institutionalised by being put in museums, public art is freely accessible and enjoyable to everyone. It escapes the necessary monetisation of experience derived from capitalism.
The history of public art is impossible to trace as humans had the tendency to doodle on cave walls since the dawn of history. Art in public places has often been a display of the grandiosity of a culture (notable examples include the Colosseum). With the arrival of the contemporary era, we witnessed advancements in many different areas of culture. Art was no exception, developing new forms of expressions that didn’t seem possible to conceive until then. Thanks to its natural ability to reach a significant number of people, public art during this period became a vessel for activism, bringing issues of social inequality to everyone’s attention.
Thanks to its natural ability to reach a significant number of people, public art during this period became a vessel for activism, bringing issues of social inequality to the attention of everyone.
The most well-known public artist is Keith Haring, whose graffiti strongly advocated for LGBTQ+ rights. His work was pivotal to raising awareness about the AIDS crisis, to which he succumbed in 1990. Now, to what would probably be his disdain, his drawings are stamped on mugs and printed on cheap Penney’s t-shirts.
Working on raising awareness about AIDS was also Felix Gonzales-Torres, usually cited for his heart-breaking artwork “Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)” (1991), who also took his art outside of the gallery. On the twentieth anniversary of the Stonewall Uprisings, Gonzales-Torres installed a billboard on Sheridan Square across from the historical Stonewall Inn bar, titled “Untitled” (1989). It reads:
“People With AIDS Coalition 1985 Police Harassment 1969 Oscar Wilde 1895 Supreme Court 1986 Harvey Milk 1977 March on Washington 1987 Stonewall Rebellion 1969.”
This artwork was described by the artist himself in 1989 as “a visual reference, an architectural sign of being, a monument for a community that has been ‘historically invisible.’”
Patricia Cronin’s “Memorial to a Marriage” (2011) is a piece hailing from the Bronx. The bronze sculpture depicts the artist and her partner, Deborah Kass, embraced in a hug. It is noted as being the first marriage equality monument worldwide.
As in many other countries, public art in Dublin is mostly focused on historical local and national events. The majority of statues and monuments around the city represent important figures of Irish independence, or great Irish artists and writers. A great public art initiative in the city is #DublinCanvas, an ongoing project that aims to bring colour to unused objects around the city. This initiative started in 2015 with fifteen electrical boxes and has reached over 850 by the end of 2023. The painted boxes, situated mostly on pavements and at traffic junctions, have different types of illustrations on them, including some aimed at raising awareness towards inclusivity and diversity.
Another example of public art is on the external walls of The George, one of Dublin's oldest gay bars. Until recently this space was occupied by a mural of the Irish musician Wallis Bird, and now portrays Sinead O’Connor. Although O’Connor never identified herself as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, she was always an outspoken ally of the queer community. The artist performed at the London Gay Pride in 1988, only a month after the passing of Section 28, a law that prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” up until 2000 in England and Ireland.
Opposite Gay Spar and The George was also Joe Caslin's mural painted in 2015, the year of the marriage referendum in Ireland. It depicted a romantic hug between two men. This artwork became a viral symbol of the strength and persistence of the LGBTQ+ community in its path to reaching equality.
In areas concerning sculptural art, between 2022 and 2023, the “Sculpture Dublin Programme” commissioned six sculptures: four permanent, one land artwork, and one to be temporarily installed outside the City Hall. The latter is “RGB Sconce, Hold Your Nose” by Alison Gilliland, currently on a long-term loan to TU Dublin (Grangegorman Campus). The title of the statue is a reference to the collection of poems called Sanitary Songs (1884), which were aimed to discredit the British civil servants who were investigating suspects of homosexuality in the city. This sculpture is not only interesting because of its theme, being a simultaneous representation of diversity and acceptance in both past and present Dublin, but also because it was part of a series of events and workshops in the city, along with the other sculptures in this programme. With this project, the city succeeded in realising the full potential of public art, reaching people, and making them connect with art in public spaces, all while educating them on relevant social issues.
With this project, the city succeeded in realising the full potential of public art, reaching people, and making them connect with art in public spaces, all while educating them on relevant social issues.
A great occasion to connect with other peers in a diverse and inclusive atmosphere is Dublin’s annual Pride parade, which is accompanied by events, seminars and new artworks that pop up around the city. The 2021 “Shine with Pride” mural on Camden Row was created by KinMx and inspired by several conversations with young people about their experience growing up as LGBTQ+ in Ireland.
Started in 2022 and still ongoing, the project “Pride Jam” is visible on the hoarding covering the construction site of The Mercantile Hotel, between Dame Street, George’s Street and Dame Lane. In celebration of Pride every June, the hoarding is spray painted by a variety of artists to celebrate queer identities. The project is managed by Boombox, a creative social enterprise based in Dublin. The organisation did a great job in revitalising an unused corner of the city centre and transforming it into a spotlight for the LGBTQ+ community.
Public art is vital for the social and cultural development of cities, especially growing and ever-changing ones like Dublin. Between the rising cost of living and the seemingly never-ending housing crisis, public art can become a beacon of hope and a tool for making the city more inclusive and aware of social issues. Hopefully Dublin will see even more public art projects in the future, allowing artists to make accessible and free art available for everyone.