Shortlisted for Major Public Art Sculpture Dunkettle Interchange, Cork, Ireland

Dunkettle Interchange, Cork, Ireland

I am very pleased to be shortlisted along with Michael Mc Laughlin (B.Arch) for one of the biggest sculpture commissions in Ireland in recent times. Dunkettle Interchange in Cork is one of the busiest traffic routes in Ireland with over 90,000 vehicles each day. We were really delighted to be selected for this shortlist. This is one of the most ambitious and high-profile public art projects ever undertaken in Ireland.

The open call attracted submissions from artists and collaborative teams working at an international level, underlining the global significance of the Dunkettle Interchange as a major infrastructural gateway to Cork city and the wider region. Following a rigorous, multi-stage selection process, only four artist teams were shortlisted from a highly competitive field making this a prestigious and significant achievement. A key strength of our proposal is the exceptional calibre of the project team. It was a real pleasure to lead the project with Arup Engineering, who are internationally respected leaders in complex infrastructure and public realm projects. Digital and parametric development was led by Jess Maertterer of 3DE Development and Design, whose background includes work with globally influential practices such as Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid Architects. This brought a significant international dimension with advanced expertise in complex design to the project. We love to push the boundaries in terms of what is possible to achieve with concept and site analysis.

Conceived as a large-scale stainless steel sculpture, the work responds to themes of ecology, movement, identity, and renewal, reflecting Ireland’s evolving cultural and environmental narrative. Our proposal engages directly with the scale and visibility of the Dunkettle Interchange, seeking to transform a place of transit into a meaningful civic landmark.

While we understand the challenges of creating a proposal for such an ambitious project we feel that the experience is always invaluable and very worthwhile.

This Public Art Commission is being funded by Cork County Council and curated by Public Art Manager Vincent O Shea.

The Dream Team- Michael McLaughlin (B.Arch) Cathal Mc Carthy (Sculptor) Damien Flynn (Director Olandi Engineer, Co Mayo).