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Two large scale artistic features have been installed along the new N22 road between Macroom and Baile Bhuirne. The sculptural forms representing female heads were created by West Cork based artist Sarah Goyvaerts and were commissioned by Cork County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland with funding from the Per Cent for Art Scheme for the N22 development.
The first ancestral sculpture ‘The Bronze Age Girl’ represents a young female whose remains were found in a burial site during the archaeological works for the N22 development, having been cremated and buried with considerable care and effort at Kilnagurteen some 3,500 years ago. The second ancestor represents the mythical goddess Áine, who is associated with fertility, abundance, and the midsummer point of the year.
‘Áine’ is located on the raised verge facing oncoming westbound traffic in the townland of Coolavokig and has been positioned to face the Summer Solstice sunrise. ‘The Bronze Age Girl’ is located on the raised verge facing oncoming eastbound traffic in the townland of Carrigaphooca and is lined up to face the Winter Solstice sunset. The sculptures were created in ferrocement over a mesh and stainless-steel framework and include natural pigments distilled from rocks found in the Baile Bhuirne area.
Welcoming the installation of the artworks, Mayor of the County of Cork, Frank O’Flynn said:
“As we unveil these captivating sculptures along the N22 development, we are celebrating the many benefits that the Macroom to Baile Bhuirne bypass has brought to the community, paving the way for future growth, while also looking to our past. Sarah Goyvaerts and her creative team have brought history and myth to life. These pieces not only beautify the landscape but also serve as a testament to our cultural legacy, marking our relationship to place and keeping our stories alive.”
Speaking of her work, artist Sarah Goyvaerts says:
“The sculptures serve as an acknowledgement of the deep ancestral connection and relationship to the land that is at the very core of the Múscraí’s cultural creativity and spirit of place. By drawing awareness from the wider cultural landscape of the Paps, through to the archaeological discoveries made in the course of the construction of this road, my hope is that the sculptures will act as a starting point, carrying the story of connection between the tangible and intangible, the connection between people and place that is intrinsically woven into the very fabric of the communities in Múscraí today. These sculptures are intended as a bridge linking the present day to the past, giving face to the ancestors as a mystical presence held in the landscape”.
This public art project has seen creative engagement with local communities and a podcast series entitled ‘Céimeanna – Tales and Trails’. When making the accompanying podcast Sarah Goyvaerts and Pádraig Ó Duinnín recorded conversations with people in Múscraí with knowledge or stories to tell about the area along the N22 development. The podcast explores connections between placemaking, collective memory, storytelling, and the environment. The series is available on the ‘Céimeanna’ Instagram and YouTube channels.
Ahead of the installation, artist Sarah Goyvaerts said of the Per Cent for Art Commission: “I’m excited for the public to finally see ‘The Bronze Age Girl’ and ‘Áine’ ancestor sculptures. It was a privilege to create works for a part of the county that I’m very familiar with.
About the artist:
Sarah Goyvaerts is an Irish born artist based in West Cork. In 2016 she focused on public art and began creating artworks for outdoor spaces. Inspired by her love of the Mythical, she quite often depicts otherworldly characters that spark imagination and playfulness. She aims to explore storytelling through material forms. Throughout recent years she has worked on commissions for private collections, festivals, and events, completing her first public artwork in 2022, for Cloughduv National School in Co. Cork. To learn more about Goyvaerts’ processes of developing the sculptural and audio elements of Céimeanna, search ‘Céimeanna’ on Instagram and YouTube.
Artistic team:
Sculpture Design and fabrication: Sarah Goyvaerts, Sebastian Beukers.
Audio Series: Padraig Ó Duinnín, Sarah Goyvaerts
Pigment Workshops: Annie Hogg.
Dealbha faoi Scéim an Chéatadáin le haghaidh na nEalaíon suiteáilte mar chuid d’Fhorbairt Bóthair an N22
Tá dhá ghné ealaíne ar scála mór, a léiríonn cinn mhná, suiteáilte feadh bhóthar nua an N22 idir Maigh Chromtha agus Baile Bhuirne. Tá na dealbha cruthaithe ag an ealaíontóir Sarah Goyvaerts, atá lonnaithe in Iarthar Chorcaí, agus coimisiúnaithe ag Comhairle Contae Chorcaí agus Bonneagar Iompair Éireann le maoiniú ó Scéim an Chéatadáin le haghaidh na nEalaíon le haghaidh fhorbairt an N22.
Léiríonn an chéad dealbh sinseartha ‘An Cailín Cré-umhaoise’ bean óg a bhfuarthas a corp i láthair adhlactha le linn na n-oibreacha seandálaíochta ar fhorbairt an N22, áit ina créamadh agus adhlacadh í le cúram agus le hiarracht shuntasach i gCoill na nGoirtíní tuairim is 3,500 bliain ó shin. Léiríonn an dara dealbh sinseartha an bandia miotasach Áine, a bhfuil baint aici le torthúlacht, flúirse agus pointe lár an tsamhraidh den bhliain.
Tá ‘Áine’ suite ar an gciumhais ardaithe a bhfuil aghaidh ar an trácht atá ag teacht aniar i mbaile fearainn Chúil an Bhuacaigh agus í suite go cuí chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar éirí gréine Grianstad an tSamhraidh. Tá ‘An Cailín Cré-umhaoise’ suite ar an gciumhais ardaithe a bhfuil aghaidh ar an trácht soir ag teacht isteach i mbaile fearainn Charraig an Phúca agus é leagtha amach le haghaidh a thabhairt ar luí na gréine Grianstad an Gheimhridh. Cruthaíodh na dealbha i bhfeireasuimint thar chreat líontáin agus cruach dhosmálta agus áirítear leo líocha nádúrtha a dhriogadh ó charraigeacha a fuarthas i gceantar Bhaile Bhuirne.
Ag fáiltiú roimh shuiteáil na saothar ealaíne, dúirt Méara Chontae Chorcaí, Frank O’Flynn, “Agus na dealbha tarraingteacha seo á nochtadh againn feadh fhorbairt an N22, táimid ag ceiliúradh na mbuntáistí iomadúla a thug seachbhóthar Mhaigh Chromtha go Baile Bhuirne don phobal, ag réiteach an bhealaigh le haghaidh fáis sa todhchaí, agus ag breathnú ar ár stair freisin. Thug Sarah Goyvaerts agus a foireann chruthaitheach an stair agus an miotas chun beatha. Ní hamháin go n-áillíonn na píosaí seo an tírdhreach ach is fianaise iad chomh maith ar ár n-oidhreacht chultúrtha, ag sonrú ár gcaidreamh le háit agus ag coimeád ár scéalta beo.”
Ag labhairt di ar a saothar deir an t-ealaíontóir Sarah Goyvaerts, “Is aitheantas é na dealbha ar an gceangal domhain sinseartha agus an gaol leis an talamh atá i gcroílár chruthaitheacht chultúrtha Mhúscraí agus spiorad áite Mhúscraí. Trí fheasacht a tharraingt ó thírdhreach cultúrtha níos leithne an Dá Chích (The Paps), go dtí na fionnachtana seandálaíochta a rinneadh le linn tógála an bhóthair seo tá súil agam go bhfeidhmeoidh na dealbha mar phointe tosaigh, ag cur scéal an naisc idir an inláimhsithe agus an doláimhsithe, an ceangal idir daoine agus áit atá fite fuaite go dlúth le creatlach na bpobal i Múscraí sa lá atá inniu ann. Tá na dealbha seo ceaptha mar dhroichead a nascann an lá inniu leis an am atá thart, ag tabhairt aghaidhe ar na sinsir mar láithreacht mhistiúil sa tírdhreach”.
Chonacthas rannpháirtíocht chruthaitheach sa tionscadal ealaíne poiblí seo le pobail áitiúla agus le sraith podchraoltaí dar teideal ‘Céimeanna- Tales and Trails’. Agus an podchraoladh a chuaigh leis á thaifead ag Sarah Goyvaerts agus Pádraig Ó Duinnín bhí comhráite acu le muintir Mhúscraí a raibh eolas nó scéalta acu le hinsint faoin gceantar feadh fhorbairt an N22. Scrúdaíonn an podchraoladh naisc idir cruthú áite, cuimhne chomhchoiteann, scéalaíocht agus an timpeallacht. Tá an tsraith ar fáil ar na cainéil ‘Céimeanna’ Instagram agus YouTube.
Roimh an tsuiteáil, dúirt an t-ealaíontóir Sarah Goyvaerts faoi Choimisiún an Chéatadáin le haghaidh na hEalaíne: “Tá sceitimíní orm go bhfeicfidh an pobal na dealbha sinseartha ‘An Cailín Cré-umhaoise’ agus ‘Áine’. Ba phribhléid é saothair a chruthú do chuid den chontae a bhfuil an-aithne agam air.
Maidir leis an ealaíontóir:
Ealaíontóir a rugadh in Éirinn í Sarah Goyvaerts atá lonnaithe in Iarthar Chorcaí. In 2016 dhírigh sí ar ealaín phoiblí agus thosnaigh sí ag cruthú saothair ealaíne do spásanna lasmuigh. Spreagtha ag an ngrá atá aici don mhiotas, is minic a léiríonn sí carachtair osnádúrtha a spreagann samhlaíocht agus spraíúlacht. Tá sé mar aidhm aici scéalaíocht a staidéar trí fhoirmeacha ábharacha. Le blianta beaga anuas d’oibrigh sí ar choimisiúin do bhailiúcháin phríobháideacha, d’fhéilte agus d’imeachtaí, agus chríochnaigh sí a céad saothar ealaíne poiblí in 2022 do Scoil Náisiúnta Chloch Dhuibh i gCo. Chorcaí. Chun tuilleadh a fhoghlaim faoi phróisis Goyvaerts chun gnéithe dealbhóireachta agus fuaime Céimeanna a fhorbairt, cuardaigh ‘Céimeanna’ ar Instagram agus YouTube.
Foireann ealaíne:
Dearadh agus Déantús Dealbhóireachta: Sarah Goyvaerts, Sebastian Beukers.
Sraith Fhuaime: Pádraig Ó Duinnín, Sarah Goyvaerts
Ceardlanna lí: Annie Hogg.