Immersive Artwork from Joe Caslin goes on Display at Downhill House

A new piece of street art from acclaimed artist Joe Caslin has gone on display at Downhill House, the iconic National Trust property on the north coast.

Produced by Nerve Centre, We Can Do Better is a site-specific installation and augmented reality (AR) experience exploring the lives of a generation of young people born into peace yet navigating the legacy of conflict.

We Can Do Better is part of the IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund, a national partnership programme of artist commissions inspired by the heritage of conflict. Led by Imperial War Museums, the IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund was created following the success of 14-18 NOW, the official UK arts programme for the First World War centenary.

The project has transformed the exterior of Downhill House into a giant canvas, allowing Joe Caslin to bring his monochrome sketched artwork to life on an unavoidable scale.

Joe Caslin has previously created towering pieces of temporary art that adorn buildings across Ireland, including the Ulster Museum in Belfast, Trinity College and the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin. Like all of his pieces, the materials used at Downhill will be biodegradable and will wash away, leaving no trace on the building.

Co-created with ‘The Kindred Collective’, a group of young women born since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, the artwork will reflect some of the issues affecting young people in Northern Ireland today.

Through a nine-month process of engagement and co-creation, the collective has supported Caslin in creating a piece of work that reflects societal conflict, empowerment, and change.

The project set to launch officially tomorrow to the public will be accompanied by a programme of free events and activities. For more information visit here. 

Picture : Ken Cox