A NEW piece of public art is set to be unveiled tonight at Cavehill Country Park as part of a cross-community project.
The new stainless steel raindrop called ‘Origin’ will overlook Belfast from Cave Hill. The six-metre tall sculpture will sit atop Squire’s Hill and when illuminated at night, will give the appearance of floating.
The artwork, which is the beneficiary of £100k of Lottery funding, is meant to symbolise the prominence of Belfast’s historic Farset River and is just one of several costly sculptures that have appeared across Belfast in recent years.
It also marks the culmination of Creative Belfast, a £900,000 scheme ran by Belfast City Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland which has invested £900,000 in seven large scale projects such as Belfast Opera, BabyDay and the Nine Nights theatre spectacle.
Roisin McDonagh, chief executive of the Art’s Council of Northern Ireland, said Origin is part of a strategy to give the wider public access to great artwork.
“Public money makes things possible that wouldn’t otherwise be possible,” she said.
“In the hands of artists a remarkable and defining legacy has been created for Belfast city through this piece of public art.”
Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast Mary Ellen Campbell, said she hopes the sculpture will attract more visitors to the north Belfast area.
“I’m delighted that Origin will be a beautiful legacy,” she said.
“It celebrates the source of the Farset River and all of the people who have helped make Belfast great. I’m looking forward to seeing many more visitors coming to enjoy the sculpture and exploring this stunning area of our city”.
