Poetry as Commemoration, a jukebox that recites poems, is the latest addition of art in Waterford.
Situated in Hannover Street in the centre of the Cultural Quarter, members of the public can turn the handle and enjoy a poem on demand.
The jukebox has 20 poems recorded. They are all in relation to the complex history of Ireland during the War of Independence and Civil War.
"The regular rhythms and recitative qualities meant that the jukebox was suited to commemorating historical figures, bringing memories and poetry directly to the public," Waterford City & County Council’s Arts officer, Conor Nolan said.
Works by well-known poets including Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, John Hewitt, and W.B. Yeats, as well as lesser-known writers such as D.L. Kelleher, Alice Milligan and Agnes Kerr.
The project invites communities to turn to poetry as a way of understanding the challenges of the past and the possibilities of the future.
This is especially relevant in the final years of the Decade of the Centenaries 2012-2023 marking one hundred years since the Irish War of Independence and Civil War.
A further curation will be recorded for Spring 2023 containing 10 new poems by commissioned poets, as well as 10 historical poems.
“Poetry invites reflection on the murkier ‘contours and colours’ of experience and can transport readers or listeners to a different time and place through rhythms, images, and sound," Luke Currall, Visual Arts Co-Ordinator with Waterford City & County Council said.
For more information on the 'Poetry as Commemoration Project', you can check out their website.
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