''The Big Fish'' is a printed ceramic mosaic

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

by John Kindness. The statue was constructed in 1999 and installed on Donegall Quay in

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

, Northern Ireland, near the Lagan Lookout and

Custom House A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting ...

. Also known as Pat The Fish in reference to visitors from Orkney, Scotland patting the fish for good luck. ''The Big Fish''s image appears on

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

material related to Belfast and Northern Ireland.

Construction

The outer skin of the fish is a cladding of ceramic tiles decorated with texts and images relating to the history of Belfast. According to the Belfast City Council, each scale "tells a story about the city". 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 Museum 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'' contains a time capsule storing information, images, and poetry on the city.

Commission

The work was commissioned to celebrate the regeneration of the

River Lagan The River Lagan (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ''Lagan Wattèr'') is a major river in Northern Ireland which runs from the Slieve Croob mountain in County Down to Belfast where it enters Belfast Lough, an inlet of the Irish Sea. The ...

. 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). ''The Big Fish'' was funded by the Laganside Corporation and the National Lottery, through the Big Lottery Fund, through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Gallery

File:The Big Fish.jpg, Location on raised platform File:Belfast (070), October 2009.JPG, Visitors view ''The Big Fish'' File:The 'Big Fish' - geograph.org.uk - 637926.jpg, Lit up at night File:Belfast (067), October 2009.JPG, Close-up of scales File:Belfast (068), October 2009.JPG, Close-up of scales

Construction

Commission

Gallery

References

See also