Tag: street art

Across the road from where I was staying in Cork I came across this huge mural. Created by Irish street artist Asbestos for the 2021 Ardú Street Art Project in Cork. At first I didn’t think much of it’s meaning but I began to see more murals from Asbestos and street art exploring the theme of home in both Cork and Dublin. Reflecting on it now it challenges us to think about ‘What is Home?’ Do you have one, is it safe, can you afford it? Never has our sense of what home means been more at threat. As Asbestos put it best: “I painted this figure wearing a cardboard box on his head to start a conversation with the public about what home means to them. As a country we are currently in an existential crisis over housing and our need to put a roof over our heads. There’s a fear and uncertainty about finding a safe space, and the system seems to be stacked in favour of the landlords.”

Wondering the roads around Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral I came across this mural on Dean Street. I believe this was on the side of the cathedral hall. Designed by Irish artists Elisa Babkina and Garreth Joyce (GAR). Commissioned by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) for the 2024 Refugee Week on the theme of ‘Home’. By suggesting that “we are our home” the mural encourages viewers to reflect on the internal and communal aspects of home. It proposes that home is not merely a physical place but a state of being, embodied in the values and traditions we uphold and share.