Downhill House facade is taken over by towering new piece of art work

Produced by Nerve Centre, the installation called We Can Do Better also features an immersive augmented reality (AR) experience that brings the project’s participants’ voices to life.

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

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.”