One of the most unusual and striking attractions in Belfast is the Big Fish. Located on Donegall Quay, close to the Lagan Lookout and Custom House, the 10-metre long sculpture is loved by visitors and natives of the city alike.
This stunning piece of art was commissioned to celebrate the regeneration of the River Lagan. The location is especially significant as it is where the Lagan meets the Farset – the river that the city of Belfast is named after.
The Big Fish was sculpted by multimedia artist John Kindness, a native of the city who also attended the Belfast College of Art.
Completed in 1999, visitors will be attracted to the grand scale of the Big Fish and few leave the city without a souvenir photo.
A printed ceramic mosaic, the outer skin of the sculpture is made up of a cladding of individual ceramic tiles, each decorated with an image or text celebrating Belfast’s rich and varied history from Tudor times right up to the modern day.
Many of the images were sourced from the Ulster Museum, but children from the local schools also contributed drawings that appear on the skin of the fish.
Commissioned at a time when Belfast was starting to rediscover its confidence in a proud past and an exciting future, the Big Fish is a compelling – if somewhat unconventional – highlight of an exciting city.
