The Positive Space
The Positive Space is an exceptional spontaneous public art movement, commandeering the empty advertising boards of Dublin during the COVID-19 crisis to create a gallery of Ireland’s finest photographers.
The organisers creatively seized an opportunity amidst the challenges of the pandemic to inspire us in these difficult times.
Initiated by three creatives, Anthony, Naomi and Corina, the project has received a phenomenal response since its inception. The Positive Space paste up posters of images sent in by Irish photographers in the spaces vacated by the hordes of ads that, before COVID-19, hockeyed us with demands to buy this and attend that. Naomi told us,
“We'd spotted the blank spaces and Anthony suggested reaching out to Irish photographers to fill the void. It went from there and grew traction super quickly. The response was phenomenal.”
The instigators had previously curated art shows during their time in college. Naomi graduated with a BA in Fine Art Photography from DIT while Corina took English, Media and Cultures Studies in IADT, since spending her time as a stylist, fashion editor and writer. Anthony has worked as a music and restaurant promoter for over 20 years, as well as a DJ at many of the country’s most renowned festivals. With those experiences under their belt, they were able to combine their talents and ideas to produce The Positive Space. They worked with the photographers, their designer Mariane Picard, Irish Poster Advertising, and their printers at We Do Printing, to creatively seize the opportunity to promote Irish artists in the midst of a chaotic crisis.
This explosive exhibition of Irish creativity was borne of the crisis we have all collectively experienced (and continue to experience) in recent months. This trend is not unheard of in Irish history, with the leaders of the 1916 rising all embedded in the creative fabric of the time, and the social revolutions around marriage equality and abortion rights occurring in the decade following the Great Recession. The Positive Space echoes these examples, buts sets a new tone through its irreverent use of the public domain to promote Irish art.
“Through a crisis, creativity comes to the fore, and people need to find new and innovative ways to entertain and engage with art. The Positive Space is basically an outdoor gallery, accessible to everyone, and we hope to see the reinvention of more public spaces in the future.”
Pay attention as you walk around a slowly awakening Dublin over the next few weeks, and you’ll begin to spot the posters all over the shop. They included several artists featured by this magazine over the years, including Fortune Lago and Megan Doherty. From Capel Street to Harold’s Cross, Irish photographer’s work now graces the walls of streets in every corner of the city. Having driven a transformative project, it’s no surprise these innovative operators have positive ideas about the potential of an inclusive Dublin. We asked them what they thought the ideal approach would be for the development of public space in the city.
“It would be great to see more pedestrianised areas and meeting places but not just in the city centre. Moving people outside the middle of town would be great for the city's congestion and feel. There is a lot of space in Dublin, but everyone wants to be city-centre based."
This suggestion to improve the areas of Dublin that encircle the city centre, like Tallaght, Coolock, Rathmines, Cabra, Ballyfermot and the rest, is something FAC Magazine fundamentally supports. Most importantly, the artists that inhabit Ireland should be brought into the public space conversation and given a platform to share their insights into our culture and communities. The Positive Space show that this inclusion can be achieved in original and inspirational ways.
“We do think artists should have more freedom to show off their work. The Positive Space was completely crowdfunded. It showed the demand is there for creativity, and that people want to see artwork dotted around the city. Crowdfunding also allowed us to have a sense of freedom, and for the photographers to have freedom in what they chose. This makes The Positive Space more unique and authentic. Clearly there is a need for artists in all elements in the city, whether it’s photos, sculpture, or paintings. Art enriches the city.”
We encourage anyone who wants to see more artwork in our public spaces to support The Positive Space and all other initiatives that integrate creativity with the public domain.
Conall Heussaff
We value original, substantive ideas – mainstream or alternative, progressive or conservative – and encourage everyone to join our discussion.
content@facmagazine.com
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