O’Connell Street

O’Connell Street, LimerickGoogle Maps

This street is the backbone of Limerick city, running parallel to the River Shannon and home to numerous shops, restaurants, and offices.
Originally named George’s Street, it was renamed O’Connell Street in 1913 after the 19th-century political leader Daniel O’Connell, who is also memorialised with a monument at the crossroads between O’Connell Street and The Crescent.
The street has been used as a venue for EVA for two editions, in 2003 and 1996.
This site was one of 12 listed venues for the 20th edition of EVA in 1996, curated by Guy Tortosa (b. 1961, France). Felix Gonzalez-Torres (b. 1957, Cuba; d. 1996) presented Untitled (America), which included a series of electric lights suspended across the street.
Gonzalez-Torres was known for creating minimal installations, which often functioned as personal and political meditations on private and public life.
His work for EVA in 1996 was installed shortly after his death from AIDS-related causes in January of that year.