Preceding the sculptural work, an exhibition showed the interaction and journey the project took over a ten month period. The sculptural work responds in a sympathetic manner to the grounds. The village community and the contemporary structure of the new buildings provided a wonderful opportunity to collaborate and create. The sculptural work is an integral part of the architectural composition and surrounding environment and has a strong identity with the site.

The design and the concept for the work is the cycle of life, directly inspired by the garden and the changing of the seasons. The over arching theme is broken down into the four seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. The designs and imagery for each sculptural piece was developed from the creative sessions with the Village residents.

Clare Lynch was the Activities Facilitator for the Residents of Nazareth Village. The Commissioners saw that Clare’s role was ideal to support the mediation of artists and residents. She was employed by the Commissioners to act as the facilitator and contact between the artists and the residents. Her role was to arrange the workshops and contact time between the artists and the residents and to ensure that every resident was kept informed of the commission’s progress.  Clare wrote up notes of the workshops and every resident received a copy of the notes.  This ensured that all residents felt involved in the process, whether they were active participants in the workshops or not. 

Prior to the installation of the work, an exhibition which documented the work in progress was launched during the Bealtaine Festival. On the launch day, the artists gave a talk about the creative process of making the work. The exhibition was open to the public for three months and had a high number of visitors.

Photo credit: Val Robus and Brigitta Varadi