Ramp drawing Augustine O'Donoghue

For EV+A in 1996, Augustine O’Donoghue proposed the building of a ramp at the entrance to Limerick City Gallery of Art (LCGA). At the time, the gallery did not have a permanent ramp and the steps made access difficult for certain members of the public. The artist proposed the building of a permanent ramp, as a way to address this issue. The proposal was selected for EV+A 1996 by French curator, Guy Tortosa; however, the work was not realised. The administrator of EV+A cited the lack of funds as the reason for the work being unable to be executed.

The artist presented a new proposal, which involved writing the text “pounds, shillings and pence” on the gallery steps, in reference to the lack of funding to enable a wheelchair accessible ramp. However, the curator of LCGA – who was also the administrator of EV+A at the time –  objected to the proposal, on the grounds that the EV+A exhibition was separate from the gallery, even though the exhibition took place there. They felt that the text on the steps would reflect badly on the gallery. A token architectural drawing of the proposed ramp was exhibited in the entrance hallway of the gallery in its place.