€35k to repair Marker Tree colourful branch
By Mary Dennehy
REPAIR work to the value of €35k has been carried out on the stainless steel sculpture at the Kingswood Interchange on the N7, after one of its colourful orbs flew off three years ago in storm weather.
Known as the Marker Tree, the €132k installation was commissioned by South Dublin County Council in 2006 and designed by Dutch artist Andreas Kopp, with work commencing on the piece in 2009.
The colourful piece of art, which lights up at night, was funded under the Per Cent for Art programme - a Government initiative which stipulates that all capital construction projects must include a sum for a visual art project.
The €132,000 needed for Marker Tree arose out of the Grange Castle Road and N7 Naas Road improvement scheme and was paid to the council by the National Roads Authority and the Department of Environment and Local Government.
When contacted by The Echo this week, Orla Scannell, the council’s art officer, said: “The illuminated sculpture is an imaginative and a distinctive gateway to and from the county, seen from close and far, by day and night, by drivers, visitors and residents.
“The Marker Tree is a highly visible landmark which combines ideas of rural and urban symbols which are key to the identity of South Dublin County.”
She added: “The Marker Tree was damaged during stormy weather when a lower branch, one of five, came away from the trunk, indenting the leaf on the end of the branch and tearing internal electrical cables.
“The council undertook a programme of repairs and restoration work at a cost of €35,000.
“The repairs included fabrication of the many small pieces that make up the leaf, reattaching the branch, reinforcing the joints of the lower tree branches and restoring electrical cables and supply.
“The installation works included ground preparation, scaffolding, equipment, project management and traffic management. The county landmark has now been fully restored to its original form.”
When the commissioning of the Marker Tree was being discussed more than a decade ago, a number of councillors branded the substantial allocation of funds as a “waste”, claiming that the council was barking up the wrong tree when it came to using public money.
However, the money was ring-fenced for visual arts.
There are currently 15 permanent sculptural artworks in the county, which have been commissioned by South Dublin County Council.
According to Ms Scannell: “Maintenance is one of the considerations taken into account when commissioning permanent public artworks.
“The artworks tend to require a low level of maintenance except where there is occasional damage caused by vehicles or weather conditions.
“The commissioning of public art is a key part of South Dublin County Council’s strategy to develop Local Arts services.
“It invests significantly in arts and culture in the context of wellbeing, the quality of life of our citizens and as a visitor destination.”
The most recent public art piece commissioned by the council was installed in 2017 at the entrance to St Enda’s Park in Rathfarnham, with a number of art projects involving community participation planned for 2018.
To access the council’s public art database and Art Trax app visit http://www.southdublin.ie/artsworks/index.aspx
