'Changing States', a vibrant new street mural in Athenry, which changes colour depending on the weather, was unveiled this week.
Created by Galway artist Shane O’Malley, it is located just above Athenry Square on the gable end of Glynn’s Bar in the centre of Athenry. It is an abstract painting, the shape, size, and colour of which reacts to changes rainfall. The direction, intensity and amount of rain determine which version of the mural is visible, making it as changeable as the weather.
The work was commissioned by Ríonach Ní Néil for Hope It Rains | Soineann ní Doineann as part of the Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture. For 'Changing States', Shane used hydrochromic paint, which is white when dry and transparent when wet, thus revealing the surface beneath it.
When it rains and the mural gets wet, colours expand to the very edge of the mural in a kaleidoscopic burst. The greyer the sky and wetter the day, the bigger and brighter the mural becomes.
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Iarla Bodwell Ó Néill experiencing Changing States, a new Athenry Street Mural with artist Shane O'Malley, and Ríonach Ní Néil, artistic director of Hope it Rains | Soineann ní Doineann. Photo:- Andrew Downes xposure
“We expect a painting to be static, and the image stable and unchanging,” said Ríonach Ní Néill, “but with a paint that becomes transparent in rain, a mural can be dynamic and shape-shifting. I wanted a work that would reflect the capricious and mercurial nature of Galway’s weather. Shane’s vibrant and optimistic murals stand out against Galway’s grey skies, so it was natural to ask him to create a painting that would duet with the sky and transform in the rain.”
Cllr Shelly Herterich-Quinn was instrumental in inviting Hope it Rains to install the mural in Athenry. "I am extremely grateful to the Galway County Council for working with Ríonach and helping us to bring this wonderful exhibition to Athenry,” she said. “I would also like to thank Mary Curran and Teresa Brady for granting permission to hang the mural on the wall of Bridgie Glynn's.”
This is Shane’s second rain reactive mural commission for Hope It Rains, following last year’s installation on Church Street in Galway city, again as part of the Galway 2020 programme. For more on 'Changing States', see www.hopeitrains.ie
