IMMA, in partnership with the National Transport Authority (NTA) under its Transport for Ireland (TFI) brand, are excited to unveil a striking new mobile artwork bringing contemporary art to the streets of Dublin.
The artwork, titled Art in Motion: Routes and Roots, is created by artist Alberta Whittle and has been developed in collaboration with poet Dagogo Hart and community writers group The Poetry Vigilantes, part of Dublin 8’s Fatima Groups United.
The vibrant artwork wraps one of TFI’s buses, transforming the familiar public transport vehicle into a moving canvas. Across the bus the artwork displays fragments of an original poem created by The Poetry Vigilantes working with Whittle and Hart. The poetry is combined with imagery in Alberta Whittle’s signature style, featuring the hands of the community participants and yarrow, a perennial wildflower native to Ireland.
Developed through a series of poetry workshops, the bus artwork is inspired by themes explored in Fisherwoman, Fisherwoman, an exhibition currently on show at IMMA. The exhibition combines the work of contemporary artist Alberta Whittle (b. 1980) and renowned painter Camille Souter (1929–2023). During the workshops, led by Whittle and Hart, participants from The Poetry Vigilantes composed original poetry responding to the exhibition and their own lived experiences. These poetic fragments appear across the bus wrap design, celebrating community voices and the power of poetry and art to connect and inspire.
The Art in Motion: Routes and Roots bus will operate across several routes of the TFI network in Dublin, bringing a burst of creativity to the capital. Each day, thousands of passengers and many more who see the bus along the network will encounter art in a fresh and unexpected way. This collaboration highlights the power of partnership in making contemporary art a visible and accessible part of the city’s daily movement, reaching communities across Dublin.
Art in Motion: Routes and Roots underscores IMMA’s commitment to expanding access to art and connecting with audiences beyond the Museum’s walls. Through this collaboration with Transport for Ireland (TFI), contemporary art becomes woven into the city’s everyday rhythm, bringing colour, language, and imagination to the streets of Dublin.
