Bright Shadow
Projector Collective and Via Artists' Group
Now on view at St. Agatha's Court, Dublin

Short Description -
Projector Collective have joined with Via artist's group to create an intervention in a disused inner city housing development. This involves the covering of sixteen windows in 23 carat gold to replace the regular shutters used for security purposes. At the same time a crop of sunflowers have been planted in the disused garden directly in front of the building.

Long Description -
St. Agatha’s Court in the north inner city is a disused senior citizens housing development owned by Dublin City Council. It is adjacent to one of Dublin’s finest churches, St. Agatha’s, named after the martyred Sicilian Saint.

In early 2008 Projector Collective (John Carter, Anthony Kelly and Jay Roche) and Via artist's group (Susan Gogan, Sarah O’Toole and Sally Timmons) joined together to develop a project called Bright Shadow. Their idea was to intervene in a disused site within the city centre and transform it’s current condition. Both Collectives were interested in ideas of urban renewal and issues of regeneration. By late 2008, St. Agatha’s Court was chosen as an appropriate site and with the help of Dublin City Council, the two Collectives were given access to the building and began their plans for interacting with the site. During February 2009 Projector Collective (curated by Sally Timmons as part of Commonplace Projects) further developed some ideas relating to Bright Shadow to form a new work called The Radiant City which was shown at Studio One, Commonplace Projects that month.

As part of their collaboration both Via artist's group and Projector Collective explored the characteristics of the site and instigated an intervention with the building and it's environment. Projector Collective noted the shuttered windows, necessarily covered over to prevent access to the building and decided to alter these closed features by covering them with the reflective and valuable material of gold leaf. Each of the sixteen covered windows on the south side of the building have been gilded using 23 carat gold leaf transforming them into glowing surfaces made up of approximately 7000 leaves of gold. Via artist's group in turn have transformed the garden directly in front of the windows turning it into a thriving crop of sunflowers. The gold leaf will outlast the sunflowers and in essence refers to a more permanent level of transformation. This too is still open to decay, although over a longer period of time.

Bright Shadow can be viewed from the street at St. Agatha's Court at any time of day. The project has no definite time span although the flowers will finally decay around mid October. The shutters will remain for an undefined period of time. Bright Shadow is to be the final project by Via artist's group.

Projector Collective and Via artist's group would especially like to thank Brian Kavanagh and Sinead Connolly from Dublin City Council for their support and help across the duration of this project and to Peter Ruigrok who gave help and support towards growing the sunflowers. Many thanks are also due to Mary Rose Timmons, Emer Lunn, Hannah Lunn, Mark Clare and Paddy & Olive Tucker.

An open day for the local residents will be held on September 19th from 2pm to 5pm.