This beautiful sculpture, which is right behind the Luas station at the National College of Ireland, is in a great well travelled location but could be easily missed and under appreciated as people rush by this work of art on their way to work.
It is difficult to miss as it lights up nicely at night and will change to a number of different colors. It really catches the eye whether day or night. The website has great information, including a light sequence which plays out every night. One interesting thing to note from the website "'NC Iris' incorporates a sophisticated lighting programme which gives the sculpture different characteristics by day and night. It will alter also according to the season. Once every night (at 22.00 in summertime and 19.00 in wintertime) 'NC Iris' shows its colours in a sequence lasting 15 minutes."
When I first saw the sculpture I was not really sure what to think. It did have a bit of an industrial nature to it with the stainless steel construction, however I also saw the flower like abstractness of the structure. The website also elaborates on the vision behind the art, and I think it is worth mentioning here "'NC Iris' is inspired by two flowers, for it is an iris within the transparent structure of a lily. The form of the sculpture - a recognisable iris within a more abstracted outer structure based on the lily - is suggestive of nurturing and of good education. The different techniques of fabricating stainless steel, of which 'NC Iris' is made, and the variety of surfaces and finishes reflect the intricacies to be found in natural flora."
I do pass by this sculpture quite often and it is nice to stop and really take a closer look from time to time and I would highly recommend others do as well. read more