N.I.War Memorial,Talbot Street, Belfast Commissioned by: Barnabas Ventures Ltd, Northern Ireland War Memorial and Arts and Business
Architects: Robinson McIlwaine Architects
Project Detail
Materials: Artwork in ceramic
Techniques: Relief ceramic tiles printed with ceramic decals of images relating to Northern Ireland in WWII.
Multiple fired to build up layers of colours and textures.
Dimensions: 3m x 3m | 2m x 2m
Description:
Artwork for the foyer of the Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum, Belfast
Concept:
Two artworks in the foyers of the Buildings in Talbot street, one housing the NI war museum and the other a mixed use building.
‘April showers I’- ‘April Showers II’
A downpouring of ceramic shaped tiles which represents falling bombs transforming into flax flowers on their descent to the ground. The use of flax flowers references the contribution of the NI farming community during the Second World War in ‘Dig for Victory’ when flax as well as food crops were encouraged. Flax flowers symbolise the resilience of the people of Northern Ireland and determination to flourish after such devastation. The Belfast Blitz and N.I.’s contribution to the war effort is commemorated here with images of the sites targeted, what Belfast produced for the war (tanks, aircraft etc) words from eye-witnesses ,the American troops in Northern Ireland, evacuation and farming and so provides an educational input. I hope that the viewer is uplifted by a view of wars eventual opposite, peace. The images for this artwork were selected from the archives of the WWII museum with the assistance of the staff and from friends and family of the artist.
