Supreme Court / Imperial Measurements, 2009.

Outdoor commission for 'ParkLife', Dublin, Ireland.

For ParkLife, six artists were commissioned by Dublin City Council to create a new outdoor work for St Annes Park in Dublin. The exhibitions curator, Claire Power selected Aideen Barry, Carl Giffney, Niamh Jackman, John Jones, Maria Mc Kinney and Beth O’Halloran to make new work in response to the ways in which people use the park today.

St. Annes park was formerly a private estate owned and used by the Guinness family. Since this time the estate house has been burned and the land made public. Although the park is now publicly owned and used, certain historical functions seem to remain. Local communities exercise an ownership over it and it still seems to function as a signifier of class for the locality. It is now used by over 45,000 people as apposed a single family estate.

A Victorian tennis court was built to physicalise this happenstance. Victorian tennis, unlike our modern version, was a frivolous affair. It would accompany a picnic and was a leisure pursuit that served as a good signifier of a wealthy land owner. For ParkLife a contemporary incarnation of the Victorian model was made. ‘Being oppressive yet ludicrous, this unique tennis court has been created for the public living in post-Celtic Tiger Ireland. People visiting St. Annes park are invited to use the tennis court as they see best fit.’ (Park Life press).

95 x 35 x 4 metres.
Oversized net poles, net, lines and steel rigging.

For more please see:
PublicArt.ie
Dublin City Council

Many thanks to Claire Power, Mick Hardford, Liz Coman, Dublin City Council, St. Annes Park staff, Mick at BTG Nets, Gearoid Muldowney, Chris Timms, Alex Synge, Alex Conway, Luke Sheehan, Seanan Kerr and kDamo for all their help.