The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights was declared 70 years ago, on December 10th, 1948. emic (web) and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Council teamed up to mark the occasion with this CNBX/HTN18 piece of street art. (Replaces SimKardashian.)
Below is another new emic ‘hand’ – compare with Hands and A Lifeboat From Despair.
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The main panel (shown below) is a tribute to soldiers in the Great War (1914-1918), with a border of poppies and silhouetted soldiers reflecting over helmets on crosses. To the side, however, is the modern UVF volunteer (shown above), with balaclava and assault rifle.
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In the Harp Bar’s ‘half bap lane’, a picture of singer-songwriter Bap Kennedy (web) by artist Glen Molloy (Fb). Half Bap Lane used to link Hill St and Dunbar Link, around the turn of the (20th) century. For an explanation of the name “Half Bap” and its former location, see Rushlight Magazine. “Nothing is greater in the universe than the human heart to rise above the sorrowful earth, the agony and the hurt.” is from the song (and album) Howl On.
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In 2003 Seamus Heaney recorded a CD of poems accompanied by the uilleann piping of Liam O’Flynn (Claddagh). He now finds himself (post mortem) in the company of three Irish/Northern Irish guitarists: Bap Kennedy from Belfast (featured previously in Half Bap Bap), Gary Moore also from Belfast, and Rory Gallagher from Ballyshannon and Cork.
“Walk on air against your better judgement” is from the poem ‘The Gravel Walks’ and is inscribed on Heaney’s tombstone. “A friend is someone who walks into a room when everyone else is walking out” is not from any song but attributed to Moore. “Born on the wrong side of time” is a Gallagher-penned Taste song (youtube).
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A covered walkway has been added around the Bank Buildings to join Royal Avenue and Donegall Place while construction goes on after the fire which gutted the building on August 28th, 2018 (BBC-NI).
The artwork above is by Danni Simpson (ig | web) at the Harp Bar; an Instagram story describes the process.
A previous non-militaristic used of the phoenix: Belfast Phoenix by Andy Council in North Street.
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“Up the gangbangers.” Hoods from the New Lodge Road (some recent disturbances: Belfast Live | Irish Times | BelTel | Irish News) leave a graffiti message on top of Ed Reynolds’s (web) mural, seen previously in The Old New Lodge, On My Wedding Day, St Patrick’s and Faces From The Past, the last of which includes an image of the mural getting a coat of anti-graffiti varnish.
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From the Twitter feed of Colombian street artist Visual AGP (Anderson García Pérez | (web): “Newen” means “strength” or “energy” … birds represent the freedom and colors of the Wiphala [the flag of indigenous peoples of the Andes].”
“Graficalia” refers to a street art festival aimed at minimising youth violence in their home town of Cali, Colombia.
Compatriot Sancho was also in Belfast for Hit The North/Culture Night: see Empezando Con La Magia.
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The magic of Culture Night and Hit The North reaches its tenth year in 2018. As part of the celebration two Colombian artists were in Belfast this past weekend for Culture Night. The magic begins with this inter-species mural above is by Sancho (Fb | ig).
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Kintsugi, according to WP, is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with a metallic lacquer, which means that the repair is visible, and “treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.”
Conor McClure (web | Fb) writes that “My Hit The North piece is based on the link with this philosophy and mental health in our society. Rather than have to hide round the stigma of mental illness people should be able to display their scars and wear them with pride.” October 10th was World Mental Health Day.
Previously: More Wolf Than Woman | Spring Wings
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Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 