Immersive artwork brings new life to Downhill House

A towering new piece of work by acclaimed artist Joe Caslin has taken over Downhill House, the iconic National Trust property on the north coast.

Produced by Nerve Centre, the installation also features an immersive augmented reality experience that brings the project’s participants’ voices to life.

We Can Do Better is part of the IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund, a national partnership programme of artist commissions inspired by the heritage of conflict. Led by Imperial War Museums, the IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund was created following the success of 14-18 NOW, the official UK arts programme for the First World War centenary.

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Co-created by Caslin and a group of young women born after the Good Friday Agreement known as ‘The Kindred Collective’, the temporary, paper-based artwork stretches across the front of Downhill House and has been designed in response to some of the issues affecting young people in Northern Ireland today.

Through a nine-month process of engagement and co-creation, the collective has supported Caslin to create a piece of work that reflects societal conflict, empowerment and change.

An interactive app will allow visitors to unlock the meaning behind the art, using the latest in augmented reality technology to offer a multi-layered experience. Free to download, the We Can Do Better app can also be used inside the house to listen to personal stories recorded by the collective and for visitors to record their own hopeful message for the future. The interior of the house also features a display of protest style placards created by the group in response to the project’s themes.

Renowned for his large-scale, monochrome pencil sketches on public buildings around the UK and Ireland, Caslin has brought his vision to life at Downhill in a visually arresting and environmentally conscious way, using biodegradable materials that will leave no trace on the building. The artwork will remain in place for a number of weeks before it is washed away.

The installation launched, May 17, and is free to visit along with an opening weekend of free events, including a storytelling evening on Saturday 18 May and an evening of music led by one of the members of the collective on Sunday 19 May. For more information on events visit the Nerve Centre website.

Speaking as the project officially launched, artist Joe Caslin said: "We Can Do Better is a collaboration with a group of passionate young women living in Northern Ireland, nine months in the making. Eager for their voices to be heard, we have taken over Downhill, turning its stunning architecture and surroundings into a venue to amplify the valuable thoughts and aspirations of a new generation, and invite the public to engage with them."

Niall Kerr, Head of Heritage and Community Relations at Nerve Centre, said: "We Can Do Better has been a transformative project, offering a platform for new voices to resonate at an iconic location. The combination of Joe’s artistic style and the latest AR technologies has created something truly original, that speaks to a hopeful future, and allows visitors to contribute their own stories."

Rachel Donnelly, Head of Partnerships at Imperial War Museums (IWM), said: "This moving new artwork from Joe Caslin and the Kindred Collective is a testament to the power of art to lift up voices and contend with legacies of conflict. We are honoured to have partnered with Nerve Centre to bring ‘We Can Do Better’ to life through our IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund, Imperial War Museums’ national arts commissioning programme."

Emma Cunningham, North Coast General Manager at National Trust, added "This project has been a new and exciting experience for all of us at the Trust, and has given us the opportunity to reach and engage with younger people and new audiences. The artwork has breathed new life into the historic ruins of Downhill House and is a visual reminder that Mussenden Temple and the whole Demesne is a place where everyone should feel like they belong. We’re honoured to have been able to offer this group of artists and young women a platform where their voices can truly be heard."

Matthew Malcolm, Creative Industries Development Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to support the Nerve Centre in the development of an augmented reality app to accompany the street art installation at Downhill House.

"The app development has been funded through our National Lottery Organisations Digital Evolution Award, a programme which is supporting a number of NI arts organisations in the creation of art using digital and immersive technologies. This programme reflects the Arts Council’s commitment to encouraging innovative practices that cross art form boundaries and build digital capabilities within the Northern Ireland arts sector. We Can Do Better demonstrates the power of using digital arts to enhance and enrich an arts experience, and I would encourage everyone to go along to experience this impressive project."

For more information on the project visit the Nerve Centre website.