Heads up for Face Cup, Cork city’s latest artwork

A THIRD sculpture has been unveiled in Cork City as part of the exciting new Island City, Cork’s Urban Sculpture Trail.

The artwork Face Cup by artist Fiona Mulholland sits on the facade of the historic Exchange Building on the corner of Princes Street and Oliver Plunkett St.

It is part of a unique cultural trail of five contemporary sculptures that are being installed around Cork City this year to encourage locals and visitors to explore new areas of the city and bring art to life on the streets.

The artwork of large-scale sculptural reliefs is based on a collection of exceptional Bronze Age ceramic artefacts — a small clay cup decorated with eyes, nose, ears and feet, another pottery vessel with ears and a spoon dating approximately 3800 years old.

The original artefacts were excavated by archaeologists working on the site of the N8/N73 Mitchelstown Relief Road in 2004, who have assisted Fiona with ensuring accuracy for the project.

Artist Fiona Mulholland said, “The Exchange Building is such a unique canvas to work on, the three tiers of coursing along the facade reminded me of an Irish dresser and I wanted to pay testament to the rich history of home and hospitality in the building and the surrounding area, to bring history to life and create a museum for an outdoor space.

“The Face Cup is a curious anthropomorphic cup. It is a rendering of a human face, which was found with a ceramic spoon, and two other vessels. These wonderful artefacts form the basis of the artwork and are rendered three-dimensionally onto the façade of the building.”

She said that she was inspired by the remarkable archaeological finds that were discovered in Mitchelstown, and that they reminded her “of the exchanges that we have over tea, and a nod to the building’s name and the street’s hospitality culture.”

“It was challenging to create a 3D sculpture on the side of a building but I had great support from the archaeologists who made the discovery and some talented craftspeople.

“I hope that this stops people and they ask what it is. Hopefully, they will see it as a nod to the city’s history but with some humour!”

Commenting on the unveiling of the sculpture, Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy, said, “The Exchange Building is a significant historic building that informs an important part of our city centre’s character and streetscape — it’s a real delight to see the building take on a new role as host to this beautifully crafted artwork and highlighting the Cork region’s rich prehistoric past.”

Ken Hanley is a Project Archaeologist who oversaw the N8/N73 Mitchelstown Relief Road excavation where the original Face Cup was first discovered.

He said, “It’s fantastic to see history being brought to life through art like this. The original Face Cup find, dating to the Early Bronze Age, approximately 3800 years old, was truly exceptional in Ireland and virtually unique in Western Europe.

“Recreating this invaluable piece of history in a modern format will ensure that our history is honoured in the everyday life of the city.”

The Island City, Cork’s Urban Sculpture Trail is a project by Cork City Council and is funded by Fáilte Ireland under the Urban Animation Scheme, with commissioning support by National Sculpture Factory.

Michelle Carew, Arts Officer, Cork City Council, said, “We are thrilled to see the third sculpture of Island City — Cork City’s Urban Sculpture Trail, installed on one of the busiest pedestrianised streets in Cork.

“We look forward to unveiling the final two sculptures on the trail later this year.”