A grey Dublin day was brightened yesterday by the start of a project aimed at helping busy Dubliners spend more time on the important things in life.
Dubliners Jennie Moran (25) and Tara Kennedy (23) of the "Hope Inherent" collaborative brought cheering music to passersby as they opened their stall in kiosk No 2 on Grattan Bridge for the first time.
Wearing crisp white shirts with orange ribbon ties, the pair plans to offer "useful services" five evenings a week until the end of August in an effort to reduce stress levels in the capital.
The first such service performed by the women was a treat for the ears.
Moran and Kennedy, both artists and DJs, set up turntables and speakers in their kiosk, which is sponsored by Dublin City Council.
For three hours an eclectic musical menu - including Edith Piaf and Talking Heads - blasted out along the bridge.
Even in the rain, the usually drab grey kiosk, decorated by the women with orange balloons, flowers and potted plants, aroused curious glances from passersby. While there was no mass outbreak of dancing on the bridge, the music - at one point a rousing version of Serge Gainsbourg's Je t'aime moi non plus - had a few people pausing in order to sway along.
"We both studied art in NCAD we feel that the art world can be very elitist. We wanted to do something practical that would allow people to interact with art," said Moran.
"Each evening we will be providing a different service - it might be around food or communication or whatever busy people in Dublin might be missing," added Kennedy.
"We called the project 'Hope Inherent' because there is hope inherent in all the services we plan to offer."
Ms Kennedy is no stranger to innovative projects and was one of the artists responsible for the Christmas trees planted on Sandymount Strand in Dublin last January, which was very well received by the public.
This evening the pair will be back in their kiosk giving out bags containing the ingredients and recipes for a nutritious meal, which people can bring home and cook.
Hope Inherent will operate from Kiosk No 2 on Grattan Bridge, beside Capel Street, on weekday evenings between 4.30 and 7.30 until August 31st
