“This work is so curious, whimsical, and charming. It brings museum artifacts and places new meanings and new audiences.  The Exchange Building on Princes Street has an important culinary history, it was home to the famous Ivory Tower Restaurant. The street is known historically as Playhouse Lane, which was home to an important theatre in the Eighteenth Century.  Fiona’s rendering on The Face Cup plays so well with these elements; food and theatre, and reminds us of our many pasts.”

Sarah Searson, Invited Curator, Island City.

The Face Cup by artist Fiona Mulholland references two things unique to Cork: the rich dining culture of Princes Street and the broader heritage of County Cork. This work is inspired by a significant archaeological find from Mitchelstown, County Cork. In 2004, during roadworks, an archaeologist excavated “The Face Cup” and other objects, including a spoon. This 3,800-year-old anthropomorphic vessel is an exceptional artifact, with nothing similar found in Europe or Ireland since. These treasures are now in the care of The National Museum of Ireland.

When forming her response to this corner site, artist Fiona Mulholland considered it to resemble layered shelves, like an Irish Dresser, stacked with precious and everyday crockery. The idea of representing the cup and spoon reminded her of the exchanges we have over tea or at the kitchen table. Mulholland decided to take the curiously humorous form of the cup and spoon as the basis for the artwork.

She recreated these important finds three-dimensionally in styrofoam and fiberglass, which helped her achieve the desired scale while keeping the pieces lightweight. She painted them gold in a nod to their Bronze Age heritage, and they are mounted on a frame on the building’s façade.

Fiona Mulholland is a leading Irish artist who is working successfully across a range of visual disciplines and contexts for over twenty-five years. She is motivated by materials and processes and the challenges of contexts. Her practice is primarily concerned with examining fragments of everyday life, often cross-referencing conflicting narratives of ‘nature’ and ‘culture’. Throughout her career she has moved fluidly between fine and applied art, spanning a variety of disciplines and media.

Fiona has produced award-winning designs, large-scale public art, and work within gallery contexts. Her Public Artwork includes a major commission for The Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company, The Beacon South Quarter, and the Vocational Education Board in Letterkenny. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions both nationally and internationally. Fiona has curated several significant exhibitions, been the recipient of bursary awards, and also regularly lectures in art and design at third level.  She currently lives and works between Dublin and the Northwest of Ireland.

Island City – Cork’s Urban Sculpture Trail offers an exciting and unique approach to public artworks for a City Centre. Located on the central island of Cork City, the trail is easily walkable and compact. It’s designed to appeal to those who live and work in the city centre and visitors to Cork. The trail illuminates Cork’s unique and rich heritage in an intriguing, playful way.  Collectively the works create a series of experiences and draw attention to the character and qualities of the city streets. Highlighing social and cultural points of interest in the city’s fabric for all who have the pleasure of encountering them. The trail can be experienced in daylight and after dark.

In 2023, Cork City Council initiated a new and ambitious public art project, “Island City—Cork’s Urban Sculpture Trail.” This is the biggest single investment in public art in the City to date. Cork City Council delivered this project with its expert partner, The National Sculpture Factory, to create a new and unique cultural trail of five temporary public artworks for Cork city centre.

The approach to developing these special commissions was unusual. The artworks are designed to remain in place for five years. Taking a non-permanent approach, afforded the commissioners, artists, collaborators, and city centre business community a sense of freedom to take creative risks. Delivering new ideas and processes in contemporary public art to the city centre.

The Island City project was funded by Fáilte Ireland, under the Urban Animation Scheme, with commissioning and project support from the National Sculpture Factory.