An Comórtas Exhibition at The Carnegie Library, Swords

Fingal Arts Office are delighted to announce the launch The Carnegie Library Arts & Engagement Programme 2024.

The Carnegie Library will serve as a hub for community engagement, public participation, supporting artists’ growth, promoting arts awareness, and encouraging innovation as the Fingal County Council prepares for the delivery of the Swords Cultural Quarter.

The building, originally established in 1908 and recognised as a Protected Structure, will now function as a dynamic centre for community and arts-related activities. It features a new two-story extension which will enhance accessibility and services. It comes as part of the broader development of the Swords Cultural Quarter.

The inaugural exhibition at the Carnegie Library to launch the programme features new work by one of Ireland’s most prolific artists John Byrne, titled An Comórtas (The Contest). This iconic artwork was commissioned through Fingal County Council’s Public Art Programme Infrastructure, where the brief signalled the arrival of the Swords Cultural Quarter and has resulted in a work created with, for and about the people of Fingal. Over 60 members of the community responded to the call “would you like to be immortalized in art?”. An Comórtas (The Contest) shows us a vision of contemporary Fingal and composed with strong references to historical European paintings.

The exhibition is open to the public to view from May 1st, 2024 – June 1st, 2024 on Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays from 10am – 5pm (closed from 1–2pm).

Future programming at the Carnegie Library aims to exemplify community engagement by providing a platform for professional artists and burgeoning communities alike. It will strive to align with and include existing, planned, and future Fingal Public Arts commissions and Youth Arts projects and where programming will be informed by consultation with national and international arts organisations to ensure adherence to best practices as we plan to meet the vision for the Swords Cultural Quarter.

Image caption: John Byrne, An Comórtas (The Contest) detail, 2024, digital print, 7 × 2.1 metres