City/Town

Fuck Racism

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Emic (web) usually paints open hands, but has painted an arm and fist comprising many parts for his anti-racism message in Union Street, Belfast.

“Artwork came about because Van Morrison decided to sing about ‘muh freedoms’ in the middle of a global pandemic. Thought there was room for something sensible to be said. Artwork features a raised fist made up of a kind of stitching together of different arms of people from different ethnicities and ages. It’s a sign of resistance against the alarming racism I am seeing both online and on the ground recently. (Uighurs in China, Immigrants in Mediterainean, the state of USA currently, nationalism in the UK). The different arms combined is kind of Frankenstein-esque so I based the aesthetic of the image on Tyler the Creator’s album cover Igor (attached). Also thought Frankenstein’s monster as a metaphor fitted neatly ie Frankenstein creates the monster that goes on to destroy its maker and wreak havoc.”

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Are You On The Side Of The 2020 Hunger Strikers?

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Republican prisoners in Maghaberry, Portlaoise, and Hydebank [now officially Hydebank Wood] went on hunger strike in solidarity with Dr Issam Hijjawi-Bassalat, a Palestinian national residing in Edinburgh, who was arrested in the August swoop that also saw nine Saoradh members arrested in connection with the New IRA. Hijjawi attended one of the meetings set up by (MI5 agent) Dennis McFadden in July. Hijjawi went on hunger strike on September 16th in protest and his solitary confinement and was yesterday (2020-09-28) moved into the republican wing at Maghaberry and the hunger strikes ended. (IRPWA | Irish News | Samidoun | Republican News)

The images in this entry show IRPWA support for the hunger strikes on Free Derry Corner.

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Copyright © 2020 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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City Song

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Artist and screen-printer Shane O’Driscoll (ig | web) was in Belfast in September for HTN 2020. His Kent Street piece contains some of the same elements as in his ‘Sea Song’ piece for the New Light exhibition this summer.

Update Nov 7th: The local writers give their verdict by vandalising the piece/re-purposing the wall.

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Don’t Burst My Bubble

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“Who’s in your bubble?” Bubbles are back on everyone’s mind with the introduction on Friday (Oct. 16th) of new restrictions – bubbles are now limited to ten people from two households (NIExecutive) – and a two-week closure of schools. FGB (ig | web) painted this work in Kent Street as part of a socially-distanced HTN 2020.

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Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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