ANAM, socially engaged artwork commissioned by Dublin City University

“The space that is us” DCU Dublin, Anam commission for a socially engaged art project 2020- 2021

After careful selection of an appropriate site on the All Hallows campus, the artist held 4 explorative workshops on the chosen site with two groups from two different National Schools. The age range varied from 6 to 12 years. The children explored the site through an array of playful, imagination inducing abstraction exercises, as well as building 1:1 models with logs, pallets and Willow rods. These temporary very ephemeral installations remained in place for weeks after the workshop. Being played with a lot but also carefully maintained and rebuilt by the children after school.  The second phase of the workshops happened indoors. The children built models of their design proposals for the space. These were then exhibited on the site for the winter, along with a post box asking visitors to the park to submit their ideas on how to introduce a “Child- friendly area” on the All Hallows  campus. From the design proposals by the children Von Maltzan drew up 3 multifunctional sculptural elements that reflected the spatial and functional qualities the children designed. These 3 sculptures were installed on the site on All Hallows campus in summer 2021. They have been used in a multitude of playful ways and fully fulfil their function which is to signal that this specific area of the campus is inviting children to appropriate it.