A PIECE OF artwork in the Department of Health’s headquarters was taken out of a general area after a complaint about sexual images and words in one section of the picture.

The artwork features 12 squares with different images in each.

On close inspection, one of the squares contains a number of images of nude genitalia, along with words like ‘dildo’, ‘erection’, ‘inside juices’, ‘sperm’, ‘pussy’ and ‘woman wanking’.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) provides artwork for display in government buildings and did an assessment of the spaces in the new Department of Health headquarters at Miesian Plaza which staff moved into last July. 

The OPW told TheJournal.ie that a number of staff from the Health Department visited the OPW to select art for their office spaces. 

“In line with the general process for borrowing artworks, they were shown a number of contemporary artworks in different artistic media,” a spokesperson said.

This piece was among those chosen for display and was placed in a “general area” of the office for a “short period”, they said.

The full piece of artwork that was chosen for display in the Department of Health office. Office of Public Works Office of Public Works

However, the OPW was advised that there was “an objection to this artwork” and it was moved from the general area and instead installed in an individual office in the department. 

The Department of Health said it is continuing to liaise with the OPW about the allocation of art for its new offices, but said it has not received any “formal complaints” about artwork.