Irish Filmmakers Trevor Whelan and Rua Meegan, in association with Pull The Trigger Productions, have announced that Portuguese environmental artist Artur Bordalo is coming to Ireland next week (April 10th to 15th) to create an art installation over five days in the centre of Dublin, adjacent to the Workshop Gastro Pub on Georges Quay.
Whelan and Meegan have been filming Bordalo for over two years and are looking forward to bringing such an incredible artist to share his work with Dublin. The construction of Bordalo’s Irish installation will be filmed over five days for an Irish Film Board funded documentary, which will premiere in July.
The purpose of this documentary is to illustrate the motivation and creativity behind the career of trash art sculptor Artur Bordalo, with the intention of educating a global awareness about the environmental consequences of our wasteful society and entertaining them through the artistry and ingenuity captured in Bordalo’s works.
Trevor Whelan
Bordalo has a unique approach to creating his masterpieces – he combines painting and sculpture with a result that provides urban art with a new dimension. He is renowned for creating towering 3D animals from a city’s trash and waste. His trash art sculptures are formed using damaged car parts, neglected appliances, televisions, bicycle frames, discarded building materials, chicken wire, fans, barrels, toys, office materials and plastics. Bordalo’s vibrant animal sculptures are currently spread across 24 countries.
Bordalo has chosen the endangered red squirrel to depict for his Dublin installation on George’s Quay. The Irish Red squirrel is now a species under threat from deforestation and a new report says Ireland’s native red squirrel could be wiped out by a virus carried by the grey squirrel where its population is outnumbered 6 to 1. They are already extinct in Meath, Westmeath, Carlow and Kilkenny. The red squirrel is one of our most charismatic species, found in woodlands in many parts of Ireland and is an animal that warms the hearts of those lucky enough to observe it.
Bringing Bordalo to Dublin is an ambitious project with a focus on engaging the public audience through art outside of a gallery setting and offers an opportunity to raise awareness of environmental concerns.
Bordalo’s work will provide a vibrant addition to our city and help promote positive engagement with art in the public space. We are extremely grateful to the owners of the Workshop Gastropub for giving us access to such a prime location for this project. The Tara Street facing gable end offers the perfect canvas. George’s Quay is one of Ireland’s busiest and most central locations while 45,000 people commute through Tara Street station alone per day.
Rua Meegan
This ambitious project is being kindly supported by the Portuguese Embassy, The Clayton Hotel Cardiff Lane, Hammond Lane Metal Company, All City, Montana Cans, The Workshop Gastro Pub, Chadwicks, Dublin City Council and Ronan Group.