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Universal Links on Human Rights

Universal Links on Human Rights is a memorial sculpture in Dublin, Ireland, located on the traffic island at the junction of Amiens Street, Beresford Place, and Memorial Road, near Busáras and The Customs House. Designed by Tony O'Malley in 1995 and commissioned by Amnesty International, it is a 260 cm sphere made of welded interlinked chains and bars. At its center burns an eternal flame powered by natural gas. The sculpture represents the jails holding prisoners of conscience.

Universal Links on Human Rights sculpture with a dark spherical frame of chains and bars surrounding a central flame.
Universal Links on Human Rights, a sculptural sphere of interwoven metal with a flame at its center.
© · CC BY-SA 2.0
Universal Links on Human Rights sculpture, a dark spherical metal form with a glowing orange interior.
Universal Links on Human Rights, shown as a dark woven sphere with a warm orange light inside.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0
Universal Links on Human Rights sculpture with a glowing orange flame at its center on a circular base by a city street.
Universal Links on Human Rights with a bright flame glowing from its center beside a busy Dublin street.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0
Universal Links on Human Rights sculpture with a dark spherical metal form on a circular base in an urban streetscape.
Universal Links on Human Rights stands on a circular base beside a city street in Dublin.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0
Universal Links on Human Rights sculpture on bare earth beside a tree trunk, with city buildings and a street in the background.
Universal Links on Human Rights sculpture seen beside a tree trunk in Dublin, with the city street and buildings behind it.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleUniversal Links on Human Rights
TypeMemorial, commemorative sculpture

Creator

Designer/artistTony O'Malley
Designer birth year1962

Discovery and provenance

Commissioned byAmnesty International
Commission year1995

History and restoration

Year unveiled1995

Location and ownership

LocationDublin, Ireland
SiteMedian at the junction of Amiens Street, Beresford Place, and Memorial Road
Nearby landmarksBusáras and The Customs House

Physical characteristics

FormSphere
Diameter260 cm
StructureWelded iron chains and bars
Central featureEternal flame in the center

Materials

Fuel/source for flameNatural gas

Iconography and meaning

InterpretationRepresents the jails holding prisoners of conscience