International Sculpture Day

International Sculpture day (ISDay) Saturday the 30th April 2022

An opportunity to stroll through the gardens and grounds of Farmleigh Estate and take in some site specific and contemporary pieces of sculpture by Irish and internationally renowned sculptors.

One of the key objectives of ISDay is to advance the understanding of sculpture and the unique and vital contribution it makes to society.

From earliest times to relatively recently the human form has served to inspire many great sculptural works of art. However in the early 20th century a seismic shift occurred in terms of both attitude and approach to sculpture. Broadly speaking the figurative and the realistic gave way to the abstract and the conceptual. Here at Farmleigh we are delighted to avail of the opportunity ISDay presents to turn the spotlight on our outdoor sculptures.

The seven public sculptures here at Farmleigh exemplify many the inspirations and impulses that have materialised as contemporary sculptures in the early years of the 21st century.

 

A pleasant meander through the gardens will bring you face to face with Éan Mór by Breon O’Casey, a self-explanatory piece that gazes quietly across the lower lawn and pastures. Conversely Turner Prize winning artist Tony Cragg’s abstract work Untitled is an ambiguous and intriguing work that celebrates both texture and movement.

 

Convergence by Brian King and Buncloch by Mary Reynolds and are reflections on momentous European and State events. While John M Weidman’s Remembering and James Gannon’s Hybrid Vigour may be interpreted as commentaries on the crucial issues of climate crisis and biodiversity.

 

 

Finally Pilar Aldana Mendez’s Arch of Nature is a site specific piece which while modest in scale calls to mind the monumental sculptures of antiquity thereby deftly reminding us of the unique and vital contribution sculpture made to society then and now.

 

 

Use our Sculpture Trail Map to find the sculptures in the gardens in Farmleigh Estate.