The stunning mural project on the walls of the University of Limerick City Centre Campus has evolved into Limerick’s first ground mural.
The ambitious project, which boasts an eye catching and innovative design, was developed on Honan’s Quay riverfront by local artist collective Draw Out alongside partners, Limerick City and County Council and University of Limerick.
The now ‘landmark’ site of Honan’s Quay and the surrounds of UL’s City Centre Campus has been emboldened by a tapestry of vivid colour, overlapping and interlocking shapes, that creates a mesmerising artwork carving a new public sphere to be utilised for cultural or recreational purposes on the waterfront for Limerick.
UL President Professor Kerstin Mey said: “I am so excited to see how the mural that Draw Out and Digo Diego created on the walls of our City Campus is now emanating out and becoming part of the streetscape.
“We wanted to create something with the original mural project for the building that would be dynamic and vibrant and is, I think, now quite iconic for the city. The complementary extension of the initial project into a ground mural is something we are equally excited about.
“Public art should be expressive of place and Digo’s original design, that has informed this latest project, articulates the interactions of the city, the river and nature in organic ways and symbolises the ethos of sustainable growth as a hallmark for the future development of the campus.”
Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Gerald Mitchell commented: “With vibrant hues and interlocking shapes, Draw Out have transformed Honan’s Quay into a captivating canvas of colour and creativity. The ground mural is a testament to the collaborative spirit that breathes life into our city. It adds a new dimension to the original mural on the walls of UL’s City Campus. Honan’s Quay has become a lively public space inviting all to play, pause and be mesmerised by the impact of art on an urban landscape.”
Catherine O’Halloran of Draw Out said of the process: “We wanted to distil the existing design pattern that had been developed by Artist Digo Diego for the campus elevation and extract the DNA to ensure all the design elements translated effectively to the flat.
“We worked in collaboration with Artist Digo Diego to create a harmony between both artworks, we are both delighted with the finished result and have been honoured to work with representatives of Limerick City and County Council as well as University of Limerick, where both teams have proven to be incredibly forward thinking and truly invested in the future of the city.
“These spaces are so vital to bring life back into the centre of Limerick. The space here in Honan's Quay feels like it has already been inhabited when you arrive, it is inhabited with a warmth, a joy, and a playful energy that instantly resonates with those who enter into it.
“You cannot but smile and feel compelled to play or pause and that is the impact of public art. It can reshape the experience we have with any location within the public realm.”
The ground mural has taken elements from the painting that drapes the walls and elevations of the UL City Centre campus, and extended them onto the adjacent and adjoining spaces, utilising the horizontal canvas in a novel and dynamic way.
The artwork of internationally renowned artist Digo Diego covers the entire façade of the Honan’s Quay side of the UL City Centre Campus wrapping itself beautifully around the corner of the building into Liddy Street. The ground mural now hugs the surround and reflects a glowing extension of vibrancy and luminosity.
Digo Diego is an urban artist and muralist who is heavily influenced by the environment and social issues and considers his murals a canvas to enhance, revitalise and educate.
“This project has been very exciting, I like how the University and the City of Limerick and Draw Out and everybody involved are facilitating us,” he explained.
“I hope that this mural and the people that walk past and live here are going to stay (to watch). It is very interesting to me to create a piece that has evolved into something bigger. I have loved my time working in Limerick and hope to return soon to see how this artwork has grown.”
The entire area has been catapulted into a dreamland of colour and imagination, providing recreational opportunity in the form of the Mobile Urban Forest, seating areas and table tennis tables within its borders. The project was conceptualised by Limerick City Council, University of Limerick and Limerick City Build.
The delivery team are all Limerick based and have been through mentorship with Limerick City Build and associated artist collective Draw Out, this initiative has cultivated a professional team of local Limerick practitioners, that are committed to rolling out similar projects across the city to address spaces that are currently derelict or have yet to develop their civic potential.
