The Inspiration & Considerations
Tradition has it that when blowing the seeds off a dandelion that one should make a wish, setting the time by the number of breaths it takes to denude the dandelion of its seeds. Inherent in all this is hope, and so an optimistic symbol casting enigmatic rainbows deep into the hospital.
Selection of the artist’s work was through an open competition process in 2017. This involved a funded phase of research and development in consultation with the design team involved in the design of the new hospital. Meeting with members of the CHl’s Youth Advisory Council was paramount in gaining an understanding of being a long-stay patients at the hospital.
Design & Construction
The artist conducted solar studies to determine where rainbows from the prism would be cast and how this would change throughout the year. This research informed the design of the sculptures and where they would be positioned in relation to the hospital buildings. In the artists own worlds:
“They link nature with the interior going on of the hospital. In my mind, it’s an acknowledgement of the slowing down of time… the marking or celebrating of a moment of time, the passage of time and that alignment is something that we have been doing … around the world for many, many, many thousands of years.”
Technical support was provided by Nicholas O’Dwyer Engineers. Four of the five stainless steel stalks measure 6.5 m high and one is 8.5 m high. Fabrication was by Hickey Fabrication Services Ltd in Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford with components delivered from suppliers globally. Uplighting from the ground were designed by Wink Lighting.
Photo: Ros Kavanagh
Creating Rainbows Summer Camps
A related course of summer Camps in July 2023 brought together thirty children form the locality around the hospital with CHI staff to explore the creative possibilities of light, shadow and rainbows. This community and engagement initiative was run by Remco do Fouw and fellow artist Fernanda Ferrari in partnership with Rua Red, Draiocht and IMMA.
Photo: Orla Butler
The Passage of Solar Time
Reactions From Staff at CHI
‘It’s a beautiful piece even without the rainbows…and a lovely introduction to the children’s part of the Connolly campus. But then there’s the added layer of excitement when the sun catches it, when [the rainbows] come into our [clinical] space here. It’s just so exciting.’
– Aoife Brinkley, Psychologist, CHI at Connolly
‘In hospital, a child could be worrying about something that’s going to happen and [to see] the light [from the Dandelion Clock] coming in, it could just distract them and have them not be so worried and anxious.’
– Laura Hilliard, Member of the CHI Youth Advisory Council
‘As children are being treated inside, to see those colours appear in the room is fantastic and hopefully seeing these will make them forget their treatment just for a minute and smile.’
– Ger Madigan, Project Manager, National Paediatric Hospital Development Board
Photo: CHI Arts in Health Programme