The meaning behind this incredible new mural on O’ Connell Street

Hugh Lane Gallery unveiled its first collaboration with artist Asbestos this week - a large mural on O' Connell Street paying tribute to those who lost their lives as a result of COVID.

The mural is made up of over 5000 burnt matches, each one individually painted. Hugh Lane said of the piece: "Each match represents the life of a person who has passed away in Ireland during the Covid pandemic, each extinguished at a different stage of existence". The matches were painted over a ten day period and the mural reads “pass freely from one level of existence to another”, a quote from The Secret Block for a Secret Person in Ireland by Joseph Beuy. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQtCxoMIJDw/ Asbestos has been sharing the process of creating the mural on his instagram, and he's also been encouraging anyone who lost a loved one to covid to contact him if they'd like to share a thought or memory. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQdQxQkn2Sc/ Some of the memories have been shared on his feed, with consent, and they're extremely moving. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQepUYlH9UJ/ The mural is a five minute walk from Hugh Lane Gallery and part of their upcoming exhibition ‘From Secret Block to ROSC’ by Joseph Beuys, which opens 14 July 2021. Header image via Instagram/Hugh Lane Gallery READ NEXT: Light House Cinema announces over 20 classic films as part of their Summer Of Fun line-up