SUPERUNIFICATION

2022 / Honeypark Dun Laoghaire, Ire. Commissioned by Cosgrave Developments curated by Clare Power

From what we know about the composition of the universe there are four fundamental forces. By acting on particles at a small scale, these forces shape the structure of the universe defining every known thing from our bodies to stars and galaxies and inform the very nature of existence.

SUPERUNIFICATION is a dramatic, standout sculpture that draws upon ideas from Cosmology -the study of our universe. In its playful and aesthetically pleasing form SUPERUNIFICATION firmly roots this cosmological outlook within the landscape of the everyday.

Fundamental to the design and thinking behind this public sculpture has been an emphasis on ‘inclusivity’ as expressed through the design and social fabric of the Honeypark development. The radial and networked layout of the roads is echoed in the sculpture’s fluid crossovers and the looping movement of the two curved steel legs that twist around each other to ultimately join in a point at the top. There, this meeting point is also a departure at which the two members push away from one another spiralling down to the ground again.

At 12 metres in height SUPERUNIFICATION connects the sky to the ground. The colour gradient of the structure from black blue at the top through ultramarine to white at the base, appears as a seamless fade that draws the land and sky into conversation with it. Its elevation allows it to be seen from many perspectives and from a great distance. From an aerial view the curved form is a placeholder boldly marking this residential hub located between the sea and the mountains.

SUPERUNIFICATION links to similar forms within the lexicon of symbols in our culture such as the double helix of a DNA strand and the looping figure eight of infinity. The curving structure of SUPERUNIFICATION however defies definition. From every perspective the curve appears to take on a different form, at once simple and surprisingly complex. The complexity of curve is accentuated at different times of day as the form casts a shadow across the ground that is at times twisting and playful and at other times long and dramatic.

SUPERUNIFICATION forms a dialogue with the unknown, presenting a sense of the sublime in the fabric of everyday. It is inspired by a consideration of entropy against the backdrop of domestic toils.  SUPERUNIFICATION is about finding a space outside of entropy, or a space away from the chaos so that we can see it for a moment for what it is, the incredible unfolding of life.

In theoretical physics Unification is an elusive theory that will bring together quantum mechanics and the theory of gravity- the theory of the very small, with that of the very large. The development of such a theory would reveal the conditions at the very beginning of our universe! Rooted in the landscape of Honeypark SUPERUNIFICATION gives these ideas that are at the forefront of human endeavour a central place within the motion of daily life.