The Big Fish
Encyclopedia
The Big Fish also called the Bigfish is a printed ceramic mosaic sculpture
by John Kindness
10 metres long constructed in 1999 in Donegall Quay in Belfast
, near the Lagan Lookout and Custom House.
The Big Fish's image appears on Belfast and Northern Ireland
related tourism
material.
provided the primary source of historic images, while local schools/day centres located along the line of the River Farset were approached to provide drawings for the fish. Images were provided by Glenwood Primary School, St Comgalls and Everton Day Centres.
The Big Fish also contains a time capsule
storing information/images/poetry on the City.
. The site is a significant landmark as it is the location of the confluence of the River Farset
with the River Lagan (Belfast is named after the River Farset).
and the National Lottery
, through the Big Lottery Fund
, through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
.
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
by John Kindness
John Kindness
John Kindness is an Irish multi-media artist whose work often contrasts material, image and reference in an unusual and humorous way. He attended the Belfast College of Art and now lives and works in Dublin....
10 metres long constructed in 1999 in Donegall Quay in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, near the Lagan Lookout and Custom House.
The Big Fish's image appears on Belfast and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
related tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
material.
Construction
The outer skin of the fish is a cladding of ceramic tiles decorated with texts and images relating to the history of Belfast. Material from Tudor times to present day newspaper headlines are included along with contributions from Belfast school children (including a soldier and an Ulster Fry). The Ulster MuseumUlster Museum
The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasures from the Spanish Armada, local history, numismatics, industrial...
provided the primary source of historic images, while local schools/day centres located along the line of the River Farset were approached to provide drawings for the fish. Images were provided by Glenwood Primary School, St Comgalls and Everton Day Centres.
The Big Fish also contains a time capsule
Time capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
storing information/images/poetry on the City.
Commission
The work was commissioned to celebrate the regeneration of the River LaganRiver Lagan
The River Lagan is a major river in Northern Ireland which runs 40 miles from the Slieve Croob mountain in County Down to Belfast where it enters Belfast Lough, an inlet of the Irish Sea. The River Lagan forms much of the border between County Antrim and County Down. It rises as a tiny fast...
. The site is a significant landmark as it is the location of the confluence of the River Farset
River Farset
The River Farset is a river in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a tributary of the River Lagan. It is on the County Antrim side of the Lagan and joins the Lagan close to its outflow into Belfast Lough. The River Farset is now contained within a tunnel under Belfast's High Street; a tunnel supposedly big...
with the River Lagan (Belfast is named after the River Farset).
Funding
The Big Fish was funded by the Laganside CorporationLaganside Corporation
The Laganside Corporation was a non-departmental public body formed by the Laganside Development Order 1989 with the goal of regenerating large sections of land in Belfast, Northern Ireland adjacent to the River Lagan...
and the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
, through the Big Lottery Fund
Big Lottery Fund
The Big Lottery Fund is a grant-making non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom created by the Government to administer the funding of "good causes" following the creation of the National Lottery. It has an annual expenditure of £630 million...
, through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the lead development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland....
.