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AN INSTALLATION IN the Dublin Mountains has been destroyed less than two weeks after being put in place.
The Wind Phone, or ‘Fón Gaoithe’ in Irish, had been built as a ”private space to meditate on life and loss”, inspired by a Japanese project.
Art group Altrúchas, who put the installation in place at the beginning of the month, said that one of their group visited the site today, and that it wasn’t the natural elements that caused the phone booth to collapse.
“Given the nature of how it was destroyed,” the group said in a statement to TheJournal.ie, “and how what was left was laid out, it seems clear that the destruction of the installation was not regular vandals but a strong statement from people that didn’t like the project.”
Of course we are sad it has been destroyed, but we will not let such a mindless and selfish act take away from the positivity of the project.
“We know from some feedback that we’ve gotten that it genuinely helped some people struggling with grief, so that makes the project completely worth it.”
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This is why we cant have nice things
@Potatoe-man: * In Dublin
@Jamie: anywhere.
@Jamie: you’re some plonker, but hey you got the response you looked for
Nice? It wasn’t nice imo.
@Potatoe-man: nothing nice about it !! still should have been left standing until the so called “artist” removed it !
@Potatoe-man: you can and you have. Ireland has breathtaking landscapes, nature gave you ‘amazing things’ you should appreciate and preserve. Have a look to the one in Japan, you’ll see how well it blends with nature and how accessible is for everyone. Sorry for those artist but I truly think they need to learn the art of humility before attempting to spoil natural settings
@Potatoe-man: Hope the installer has cleaned the site up in full -should be prosecuted for littering and whoever destroyed it should also be prosecuted.
@Jamie: Sorry to disappoint but it was in the Wicklow mountains
I guess some people feel that the unspoiled wilderness is not the place for an art installation.
“we will not let such a mindless and selfish act ”
I mean you could read it both ways on which is the selfish act. Putting a phone box where there are beautiful views or knocking down a piece of art.
Who’s to say?
@Sean O: maybe them knocking it down, is itself art? Restoring natural beauty to the landscape.
@Ryan Boyle: It’s definitely a statement on the use of the space.
@Sean O: The irony – “Lets return it to it’s unspoiled state by smashing the phone box and leaving a big pile of split timber and broken glass in its place so that it looks like someone came up to the top of the hill for a bit of fly tipping
There’s some awful pr/cks out there in the world.
@Conor Conneally: Thanks for sharing that with us Conor, you’ve made the world a better place,,,,
The idea of the Wind Phone was for people who are grieving or are struggling with life issues to sit and talk their troubles to the wind, but it appears from some of the comments this is not the place for this to happen, because it spoils the landscape, it spoils the view, it appears we still have a blinkered view on mental health issues and how not to offer new and inspiring approaches that may be a life saver for someone.
@Marie Nolan: Bollox -people go to the countryside to get away from city life -not to see a poxy phone box .
Chances are the person that wrecked it -went up for some peace and tranquility only to be affronted by That abomination-no wonder it was destroyed
The artist should be prosecuted for littering and the person who destroyed it should be prosecuted also.
Hope the installer is made to clean up site
@Colman gan: You’re an idiot, it took up less than a square metre of an antenna infested hill. People noticed it and spoke about it, some liked it, some didn’t but they walked on and within a minute it was out of sight. There was absolutely no reason to smash it, if you didn’t like it then just keep on walking, no harm no foul. You’re the kind of fool that encourages and condones mindless vandalism everywhere. Once again, you’re an idiot.
Anybody remember phone boxes. They smelled of plss and never workef
I was thinking the same Bob. There used to be lads outside our old place drinking their 2 litre ciders in them or having curry chips and all sorts of unusual adventures.
@Bob Murphy: I know of a few people like that
People who have made nothing of themselves, can never seem to tolerate things made by others.
Its incredible reading the viewpoints on journal.ie. I help in our local community group supporting projects that enhance our town. It takes time, money and effort to do this, and then they get defaced. And you wonder why you bother. But then you get up again the following day and you just try again. Because if somebody doesn’t try your community falls to crap and and these folks who have no respect for anybody or anything win. There are times I wonder maybe that is what should happen. Because then the community would have to come together to right things as compared to the normal case of the just the same volunteers sorting out the problems week in and week out.
What happened in this case is pure vandalism and kudos to those who support this behaviour, not. I think folks on here who support this behaviour should be ashamed of themselves but then I wonder the understand the word shame. It is their way of saying to society how their life sucks. They know no better method of communication
@Brian Jones: Well Said!
Beautifully put.
cool project.Would only have worked in Japan…
Can we all chip in, rebuild the phone box and hire a sniper to take out any gurriers that try this again. Lure them in like wasters to welfare. It’s a wonder the pri(c)ks took their hands out of their tracksuit a long enough to break it up.
British Telecom are disposing of 20,000 pay-phones over the next five years. Under the “Adopt-a-kiosk” scheme, it will be possible to purchase these for £1.00 each. Weighing 750 kgs. (3/4 of a ton) and made of cast iron, a kiosk might better stand up to the elements and vandalism. That just leaves the problem of hauling it up there and making a secure base for it. Short of a stray missile from either north Korea or the U.S. – it should last 50 years or so.
@Paul Jennings:
I wouldnt bet on it !
@Paul Jennings: 50 days more like
Isis?
@Brian Horton: why Isis?
The comments on here are just getting worse.
@Brian Horton: more like skangeria law then sharia law
It looked like a great piece. Both as art and as solitude for those in times of personnel grief or mental anguish. Fcukers
Its a phonebooth in the arsehole of nowhere. How is this art and how much did the taxpayer pay for it??
@Bob Murphy:
Not an actual phone.
It’s a space for calling dead relatives and loved ones.
http://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/japanese-phone-booth-for-calling-dead-relatives
@Sean O: Maybe the line was bad & somebody trying to use it was sick of not hearing any response..
@Bob Murphy: Art is in the eye of the beholder. But you keep fumbling in that greasy till,
Not every euro of tax payers money has to go on giving to social or national causes, that money I pay in tax was earned by my own sweat and toil, it was mine, i’ve very little say in where it goes outside of an election year and for once Id like to see some of my tax money used in projects like this. I doubt that i am alone.
Middle class horse of an ‘art project’…. About as useful as a theatre for the workers. No-one but wealthy intellectuals gives a damn…..
@Paul Maher: Its a space for people who’ve lost someone and need a place to express their grief, show a little compassion.
So it’s a bit like a church for the non church goers.
@Diogenes: in the middle of a secluded area ? I get the purpose but the location ????? Reminds me of the punters who gifted five bikes to the city before the Dublin Bike scheme and were aghast when they were nicked. People need to show a little realism…
@Paul Maher: cynical
@Diogenes: anonymous
@Paul Maher: Things not going well for you, Paul?
Well, some people try to make things better. You should try it.
@Paul Maher: well you’re clearly not a wealthy intellectual are you?
Stick to the football and beer.
@Paul Maher: Nice to know that you consider working class people to be stupid and incapable of enjoying anything bar drink and tv
@Paul Maher: Take your classes and your social justice warrior trotski claptrap and do us a favour, go live in north korea or somewhere.
Defibrillator destroyed in cork city again. Some real f in beauts out there. Now it will be kept inside the shopping centre and won’t be accessible out of hours.
@Richard Sweeney: Ring buoys were destroyed in Wexford last week. Apparently, several ring buoys are vandalised every month.
Yuo can’t build anything nice that close to Tallaght.
@Philip Gerard: You can’t build anything that close to Ireland. We’re a disgrace.
@Philip Gerard: I also need to feel superior to the people of Tallaght , so I envy your insightful comment ,
Should make it into a shrine/memorial place for Pat Mustard!!!
Guaranteed someone takes a dump in it.
@Darragh Brennan: did you read the article?
@Darragh Brennan: is put my money on it it’d be someone like you
Sure you could have practically talked that into coming down
The worst thing about this is that I’m not surprised in the slightest. This country…
“So we stuck a phone box up in the arse end of nowhere and it was vandalized”
Their next art project should be to build a crystal ball. They need one
Just sad.
I saw the remains of this weeks ago, evidently not visited very often by creators, in an amazing deserted landscape. Could its creators please remove?
I knew it when it was first in the news as they love doing these things here?
Everyone’s a critic.
Took
Looked a bit like the Tardis in Dr Who…..Might have been the Daleks came from another to time and did this…..
What should of been done CCTV put up and if this were to happen, redo with a screen showing the people who did this.
Find them and sterilise them. Maybe less breeding will help the human race.
Antifa on the loose again?
The website associated with this art project has little information. Apart from being based on a Japanese project, the website is hosted in the US and the domain is registered from number in Italy [as of August, 1st, 2017]. It should have been made from one of the original Irish public phone boxes rather than a mock-up to withstand even modest vandalism. Perhaps there was not a lot to like about the project as suggested in the piece or maybe being smashed up is part of the intended art experience?
@New Irish Art: That was the reason it was smashed to bits. Now i understand
Wtf was this supposed to be anyway? A phone phone in the middle of nowhere? How daring!!!
@the phantom: For some a windbreak, for others an eyesore but for others a space to think and feel. It wasn’t theirs to wreck and that is the core of it.
@Alois Irlmaier: what? Is this just put a bit of junk on a hill slap #mentalHealth and claim some artistic freedom.
Just seems like a load of rubbish. Wouldn’t be surprised if the lads themselves wrecked it for attention. Doubt they could get noticed otherwise.
@Alois Irlmaier: Don’t try to reason with someone who uses a picture of poo to represent themselves.
It’s called balance and anthesis. In other words for everyone who makes an effort in trying to do good and show a bit of initiative, there is always some ignoramus who finds it by way of right to be destructive.
It is so easy to be negative in this country we do it naturally- why not get off our asses and be constructive.
If the phone only worked
Put this fire wood on adverts Free section.! Mountain of Wood to take away for free .Must have own van and willing to travel up a mountain..! First come first served..!
Art me arse.
@Jumperoo: Try reading the article is not about art…..
@Jumperoo: Way to go,Mr Art critic! Did you think that all up yourself?
What a shame
I thought the photo was a still from Waking Ned.
Unbelievable. A nice idea destroyed because someone didn’t like it. But maybe ot was a council decision as they didnt have permission to errect it. I hope they try again
It was a shame the old phone box brought back old memories to different people in pass times
Not sure why it is in this location maybe because it would stand out better , Rather then in a built up environment
Cant condone vandalism but a bit of a bleedin eyesore imo!
Typical of the mindless Irish thug. Are they not all in the Canaries falling round the streets at this time of the year.
Mindless idiots who probably don’t know why they demolished it
Personally,I believe that whoever installed that abomination should be prosecuted for littering , I also believe whoever destroyed it should also be prosecuted.
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