CLAIRE PROUVOST AND THE LOCATION

It is interesting to note that some redundant elements remain from the 'Ghost Mall' days and that one such element is now the canvas of a large colourful mural. The old moving walkway is at the ESB EV Charging Station on Main Street.

Claire Prouvost is a French visual artist based in Dublin, Ireland. Her colourful, bold and minimal style is inspired by the cubist art movement. She loves to diversify her practice and work on a variety of mediums, from digital illustration, acrylic painting to large-scale murals and street art. She likes to explore the complexity of relationships and human interactions, telling stories through deconstructed figures, intuitive lines and expressive colourful shapes. Her art celebrates diversity, inspired by feelings and everyday life.

Known for her drawings of charismatic women in a bold, pop and minimalist style, Claire has worked with the likes of Gucci, Lavazza, Guinness, Brown Thomas and many more. She is also a member of the all-female Irish street art group Minaw Collective.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find specific information about her mural on Main Street in Dundrum on the external wall of the unused moving walkway.

Many years ago I advised some friends from Vietnam to visit Dundrum Shopping Centre forgetting that there was an old shopping centre dating from 1971. When they told me that they were really disappointed with the place I was a bit surprised until I discovered that they got off the tram at the Dundrum Stop rather than the Balally stop [the next stop heading away from the city centre].

I first photographed Dundrum in December 2006 and when I visited the original shopping centre there were current Christmas Decorations and piped music but there were no traders or shoppers. All the shops displayed notices indicating that they had ceased trading or that they had relocated. My sister, who owns property including a shops, explained to me that it is possible that while all the shopkeepers may have abandoned the shopping centre they are still obliged to pay rent until the leases run out.

In 1965 the first shopping centre in Ireland was built within 100 yards of my home. Many years later the second shopping centre opened in Dundrum and suddenly, Dundrum became a town, rather than a village, with a supermarket, clothes shops, a coffee shop and a record shop. We in Stillorgan were not impressed because our shopping centre was better (and in reality it was much better).

The original shopping centre in Dundrum was badly designed and there were many problems but despite this it survived until around 2005 at which time it had very few active tenants and it was not in a position to compete with the huge new centre just up the road.

Current Tenants:

The centre successfully underwent redevelopment. Lidl now anchors the space, along with additional retail outlets.

Positive Response:

The community seems to have welcomed this revitalisation, viewing it as a positive transformation of a previously derelict structure.