Work is currently being completed on eNfore Art, a public art initiative arising out of the new N4 Bypass at Dromod/Rooskey.
The artwork has been designed and created by artist Niall Walsh, who working closely with a group of 9 local young people. As part of the development of the artwork, the young people, aged 16 – 18, took part in wood carving, glass blowing and film making workshops, as well as visiting art galleries and exhibitions in Leitrim and Dublin. The artwork will be sited in Rooskey village and consists of a sunken chamber which is viewed through a glass panel. The floor of the chamber is a representation of a contemporary road surface while the glass panel is etched with a detail from the Iron Age togher, or bog road, discovered during the archaeological dig as part of the new road development. A monitor on site will play a film about the project.
The young people were also involvde in the selection of Niall Walsh as the artist for the project. They explored issues and concepts around contemporary public art practice as part of a process which saw them shortlist 5 artists from 17 initial expressions of interest for the commission. Four artists made presentations to the group in March 2007 and from this process the young people selected Niall Walsh as the commissioned artist.
Excavations at the Edercloon dig which arose from the construction of the new road revealed 3 toughers (wooden bog roads) as well as a wealth of artifacts from the bronze age to the medieaval period. In view of the nature of the toughers and their connection to the current development of the site, and the underlying historical culture of the area, the proposed artwork will reflect a stratafication of history from the bronze age tougher to the materials and techniques used in the construction of the current road. The nature of development as seen in the creation of bigger/ faster road networks cannot be seen simply as a positive or negative force.
This public art process poses the notion of new roads/landscape continuously being laid down on top of old and opens a space for dialogue about development, change and communities. The artwork is currently under construction with a target siting date of mid April 2008.