Ideal State Agency (ISA)

Complaints and Compliments Department was a public art intervention in Bishop Lucy Park, a city centre public park in Cork city. The project engaged the citizens of Cork through a free public letter writing service. People could avail of the service to compose and type letters of complaint and/or compliment to whom ever they wished. Letters were composed for a range of recipients from public institutions, difficult neighbours, local entertainers, personal family and friends etc. All letters were either posted, archived or incinerated on site.

The project was devised by Ideal State Agency, an artist group formed by Colette Lewis, Irene Murphy ad Elinor Rivers (2004 – 2005). Psychotherapist and artist Ger Staunton facilitated the writing process.

Complaints and Compliments Department was commissioned by Cork Caucus, a Cork 2005 European Capital of Culture project. Cork Caucus was a major 3-week international cultural caucus to investigate art, possibility and democracy. The focus of Cork Caucus was to use the city as a base to investigate the relationship between art and the possibility of change in a specific place.