Ardú – the Irish for Rise – bases itself on a theme of nostalgia and celebration. Cork City rose from the ashes over 100 years ago following the Burning of Cork, and now faces the challenge to rise again. Street art is the ideal medium for the times we live in. Ardú provides a safe space to interpret the murals outdoors, and at a social distance from each other. At a time when communities face shared and personal challenges, each of the selected artist’s murals are a rallying cry to the city – a call to remember that we have been through terrible times before and we rose up.
Comprising of murals on city centre walls by prominent artists living and working in the urban context of Cork, the initiative maintains public access to the arts, linked to the city's heritage and promotes cultural tourism. The project managed to support employment with the arts sector during a challenging time.
Seven of Ireland’s most respected and renowned street artists were invited to create key city-centre locations, in response to a theme inspired by the 1920 Burning of Cork. In the project you can find work by Deirdre Breen at Wandesford Quay, Maser at The Kino, James Earley at Henry Street, Peter Martin at Kyle Street, Shane O’Driscoll at Harley Street, Aches at Anglesea Street, and Garreth Joyce at Liberty Street.
In 2021, Ardú returned with 4 more murals in the city centre. Local artist Conor Harrington painted a large piece in Bishop Lucey Park and Asbestos, Friz and Shane O’Malley also created amazing and thought provoking artworks for the project.
Ardú is supported by the Cork City Council and the Creative Ireland Jobs Stimulus Package, an all-of-government five-year initiative, from 2017 to 2022, which places creativity at the centre of public policy.
Find more about the project here
