Maser’s iconic ‘Repeal The 8th’ mural at the Project Arts Centre was painted over this morning amid a gathering of approximately 200 people who were protesting the takedown of the artistic piece.

In a statement released on Friday evening, The Project Arts Centre said that they were informed by the Charities Regulator that the artwork was deemed political activity and as a result, was in breach of the Charities Act 2009.

“The Charities Regulator has informed Project Arts Centre that the display of Maser’s ‘Repeal the 8th’ artwork is ‘political activity’ and that Project is therefore in breach of the Charities Act 2009 and not in line with Project’s ‘charitable purpose’. Should the artwork not be removed, Project risks losing its charitable status.

“Project Arts Centre respects the authority of the Charities Regulator and will comply with their order to remove Maser’s artwork.”

Repeal the 8th https://t.co/VGvmCXj9Lq

— Gay Community News (@GCNmag) April 23, 2018

“Through its absence, this political artwork lives on in the thousands of people who have taken its heart into theirs.

Cian O’Brien, Artistic Director of the Project Arts Centre gave an impassioned statement before painting over the mural saying:

“Restrictive legislation has intervened in a creative institution and in order to protect the future of that institution and all the artists who work here now and may work here in the future, we have decided to comply with the order of the charities regulator.

“This decision has not been taken lightly.

“Throughout its 52-year history, Project Arts Centre has always placed itself at the centre of social and political issues and has done this through the art it has presented, produced and displayed.

“Through its absence, this political artwork lives on in the thousands of people who have taken its heart into theirs.

“You can paint over a mural but you can’t paint over an issue.”

The mural was commisioned by the HunReal Issues back in 2016 when it was taken down within two months due to a similar restriction in planning legislation.

Andrea Horan founder of The HunReal Issues told GCN today:

“We waited two years to put it up to make sure we were in line with the planning legislation at the time and then there was a concerted effort to tap into ways to get it taken down, trying to find a rule that would make us take it down.

“If you look hard enough for a rule you’re going to find one and the charities regulator decided that political art was not within the remit of artistic institution, which is bizarre, and guidelines had just been changed in February when the referendum was called so that’s an interesting thing to look at I suppose.”

On today’s events, Maser told GCN:

“People are asking me am I sad, I’m not sad because it’s adding another layer to this again, another conversation. It’s building more momentum for it.”

https://twitter.com/MaserArt/status/988152958734004224