Belfast - A City with Culture?

As part of the Department for Social Development’s (DSD) regeneration and Minister Margaret Ritchie’s priority to ‘Create vibrant cities, towns and urban areas’ the Spirit of Belfast has been unveiled.

This latest monument, sculpture or as some put it, and they are entitled to their opinion, eyesore, has been launched, to a mixed reaction. But I like it!

You see ‘culture’ in our past existence has been an Ulster Fry and a cuppa tea; a few bets on a Saturday afternoon and fall asleep in front of the tele after Sunday dinner. Well it was the culture I grew up with. Thankfully those times have changed.

We still do all those things, but they are no longer our priority. We have been given an abstract explanation of the Spirit of Belfast’s  existence. It has been described as:-

“a manifestation of our energy as we look to the future as well as a meditation on our past. It is a timepiece that weaves together the strength of steel and the delicacy of light, ocean liners and linen, progress and peace”

I appreciate where the artist is coming from but hey. I’m from Belfast. I’m not saying we’re stupid, I’m saying we are not all art critics. This is possibly the reason some people might not appreciate what the artist is trying to do. The reason I like the Spirit of Belfast is because it looks different, and modern and futuristic, and it looks good at night when the lights are on.

Had it been a statue of Mary Peters, George Best, Liam Neeson or anyone else famous from this great country, people might understand, but I think it is the appreciation of modern art that is the cause of what little criticism exists. Many people see the ‘Big Fish’ and want their photo taken by it. It’s not complicated it’s a fish, its beside the river, enough said.

For me the best form of art, although it is likely not seen in that way, is the lighting on the bridges up and down the River Lagan. If you haven’t ventured along Annadale, Stranmillis and Ormeau Embankments of an evening, do so. On a still night nothing is as peaceful as the quiet of the River Lagan with the reflection of everything in the vicinity bouncing up at you. The bridges appear oval shaped as their reflection from the water gives an illusion that it is all one big oval shape.

Art exists all around the City. ‘Nuala with the Hula’ as she is affectionately known is one of the biggest. The DSD, as part of its regeneration programme, has produced 3 art trails which are available on its website:

- The first covers Clarendon Dock, Cross Harbour and the Cathedral Quarter.
- The second takes in the areas around the Donegall Quay, Hanover Quay, Gregg’s Quay and Lanyon Place.
- Finally the third takes you along Maysfield, Cromac Springs,

The gasworks, Haulers Way, Ormeau Bridge, as I mentioned in my previous paragraph and finally Governor’s Bridge, again relating to my previous paragraph.

So is this street art just a matter of taste. That may well be the case but having visited Prague in recent years I was able to see the blandness of the old Eastern Block ways of doing things against the backdrop of the Western influenced tourist industry.

The colourful new holiday apartments in Prague brought the city to life. They were very pretty and looked full of fun as opposed to the officious looking drab office blocks that still darkened some corners of the Czech Republic. They were like a shining light on a new dawn. The old art, which many cities have, of famous or infamous people remains, but is complemented by other pieces which are more up to date.

I am a believer that our city is just as entitled to have a facelift as any other town, city or even house in the world. Take a look around your own home. Clocks, picture frames, small ornaments likely adorn the walls and coffee tables to garnish the basics. They aren’t a necessity, but its part of everyone’s make up to want nice things around them, if they weren’t there, you would feel something is missing.

Like sport, art is a matter of opinions. You can’t satisfy everyone all of the time and someone has to make decisions on ways forward for our cities towns and villages. They too need to look just as pretty and attractive to our visitors from south of the border and overseas.

My hope is that the ‘Spirit of Belfast’ grows on those who have doubts about it. The Minister and her Department are not attempting to turn us all into art critics, they are working towards a better future for our country. Introducing public art will add interest and bring focus to our once boring streets and, as the website says, ‘give people a pride in their, City of Belfast.’