FX30

A SCULPTURE BY RALF SANDER AT ST DOMINICK’S BRIDGE IN DROGHEDA

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Unfortunately my photographs did not capture the hidden female shape between the two Corten Steel uprights because I did not know what I was looking for … I knew that there must be something to see. There also was a very distracting waste bin.

This sculpture has been described as ‘modern and edgy’ and it was created by an internationally acclaimed artist.

It is a Corten Steel representation of the Celtic goddess Bóinn after which the River is named.

Ralf Sander is internationally famous for this type of work where the negative space is used to create an image.

A solid piece of sculpture occupies space. In this case Sander did the opposite. He investigated possibilities of shaping the empty space. The target is to make an invisible monument. Here the sculpture consists of two large iron pillars. The artist is modelling the empty space in between. Seen from one side a Lady becomes visible in the empty space. Another perspective reveals a migratory bird. Although the object is clearly figurative, it refers to the location in that the figure is actually defined by what’s behind it. The absence is highlighted. This sculpture occupies an area somewhere between visual reality and the sensory experiences, both as observer and as participant. Despite the sculpture’s presence, one can sense that its meaning lies beyond its physical reality. In 2015 internationally renowned artists where invited to develop public art across Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland to tackle sectarianism and racism in their areas creative projects – to promote tolerance and understanding. The ‘Building Peace through the Arts – Re-Imaging Communities’ programme was funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. 106 Artists from eight different countries applied for the project. Winning this competition made the realisation of a large scale version of this idea and the field test possible.

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