The Irish Nation is a collection of Irish iconography by renowned mosaic artist Mark Kennedy. Including works featuring heroes like George Best, Oscar Wilde, Sinead O’Connor and Shane McGowan, the collection will be exhibited in cultural and creative venues throughout the city centre from 1 to 31 March.
Commissioned by Irish Mancunian, an organisation that curates cultural events of Irish interest for Manchester audiences, The Irish Nation has been transformed into a free-to-view art trail with the support of global art producer Wild in Art, with each piece placed in a venue carefully selected to provide context to the piece.
Mark Kennedy said: “My work for the last 30 years has been based on identity. My own identity and place of birth is the city of Manchester in the North West of England, its social movements, politics, sport, film, music and television.
“When I was commissioned to create the Irish Nation series it felt like a natural extension of my work. The connections between Ireland and its people and the city of Manchester are utterly interwoven. Researching and undertaking this project over the last decade has been an education into Irish culture which has certainly enriched me.”