The Irish Council for Civil Liberties have created exact replicas of Maser’s Repeal the 8th mural in their headquarters

Today the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) have created two exact replicas of Maser‘s Repeal the 8th mural that was removed from the Project Arts Centre last month.

The replicas of Maser’s mural are both located in the ICCL headquarters in Blackhall Place, Dublin. Due to complaints from members of the public received by Dublin City Council (DCC), the artwork was taken down after DCC raised planning issues with the Project Arts Centre.

The two replicas were installed this morning inside the main ground floor windows of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties’ headquarters.

"The old home town looks the same …"

(Pic of @ICCLtweet HQ today courtesy of @HunRealIssues)#repealthe8th pic.twitter.com/I4FGxeQfss

— Mark Kelly (@Blackhall99) August 3, 2016

Artistic Expression

The Executive Director of ICCL, Mark Kelly, said: “States have an obligation to respect, protect and fulfil the right to freedom of artistic expression and creativity.”

“As the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights has recently emphasised, the ‘use of public space for art is crucial as it allows people, including marginalized people, to freely access, enjoy and sometimes contribute to the arts, including in its most contemporary forms’.”

“While the Irish Council for Civil Liberties fully respects the planning processes of Dublin City Council, it believes that Maser’s compelling work deserves to reach a wider audience pending its restoration to the wall of the Project Arts Centre.”

Politicart

The statement from Mr. Kelly of the ICCL regarding art’s importance is interesting when considered in relation to what the Director of the Project Arts Centre, Cian O’Brien, had previously said.

“For me, it’s important that [Maser’s mural] is seen as an artwork,” O’Brien said, “and we’re supporting an artist’s idea to challenge the status quo and since 1966 when Project was founded that’s kind of the work we’ve been doing.”

“Art can be political, art isn’t [just] entertainment.”

Here’s Maser’s original mural at the Project Arts Centre in Temple Bar just before and during it’s removal:

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Do Your Bit

The Hunreal Issues, who commissioned Maser’s original mural, are making it simple for people to show their support of the Repeal the 8th movement.

You can buy T-shirts and badges bearing Maser’s now iconic emblem, and they are also providing a link to the artwork for people to print out and show their support.

(Image: Twitter)