Art spaces as weapons of war

Dublin’s Mayday 2004 saw thousands of opponents to fortress Europe beaten away by riot cops and water cannons. Days later, RED ARCHIVE, a strange OPEN communication space seeking all inputs, was asking: What is art, what is politics?

As activists, we used this space to communicate and build in and out of, to wander from and bring people to, to share critical ideas, to widen the discussion. Our ongoing war is one of communication against today’s culture of ignorance and apathy. Seven million people continue to die needlessly every year, perhaps our actions helped?

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Notes:

This piece was written for an upcoming book for the Project Arts Centre in Dublin. It was requested by Sarah Pierce, creator of The Metropolitan Complex. Our collaboration for the Red Archive, resulted in documentation on Indymedia Ireland as well as the half hour audio recording of the Red Archive Feedback session.

Information regarding the Demonstration against Fortress Europe:

Video of water cannon | ‘The Ruck at the Truck’: Noise Protest Echoes Continue: All The News That Fits: Final Edition | The long march on Farmleigh | Looking back on the Dublin EU summit protests – Mayday 2004 | Indymedia Mayday Festival and Centre | Photos | Photos 2 | May Day Smear Campaign – the Irish media turns against protesters

Mainstream coverage pre and post demonstration:

No May Day violence expected says O’Donoghue |  Protest and parties planned for May Day |  Dublin EU Riot: Ahern Praises Police

The Botanic Spine : A Greenway and CPUL for Dublin (eco)city

THE BOTANIC SPINE: an 18 km long orbital linear park that threads through the city of Dublin, a series of pocket parks,  some existing, some proposed.

View A3 PDF of concept here.

View full architectural Thesis “Catalyst @ Botanic Spine“, in 2 parts here 1 | 2

Dublin inner city has historically been defined as that land which lies inside the two city canals. Recently that sense of city has been lost, this project aims to remind the city of its lost identity.

The Spine acts as an eco corridor and greenway that threads together the 6 existing city waterways, the Phoenix Park (Europe’s largest city park) and the Botanic Gardens, which serves as the brain of the network that uses the spine as a constant feedback loop to output ecological projects and thinking into the wider city. The Botanic Gardens become the Dublin node in a global ecological system, greening the city, improving plant and animal life along green corridors, raising awareness and getting citizens involved with exciting eco initiatives.

The Spine is also a CPUL (continuous productive urban landscape) with a series of organic food gardens along it. The Spine mimics somewhat the structure and function of the human spine: a network of different systems flowing through the spine; plant and animal life, people, water, cycle route, metro line, digital info, hurling fans heading up to Croker for the big game?

View Botanic Spine detailed plan PDF here

The Architecture, Urbanism and Art of Duncan Crowley

Read that eco city idea is starting to take off in china

Have your say in the botanic spine communication space

Heres what the land around Drumcondra could look like