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16/09/2011
RISE Brings Hope to City
Work has been completed on the biggest public artwork ever commissioned in Northern Ireland.
The landmark sculpture, named RISE, was designed by Nottingham artist Wolfgang Buttressis and is situated on the city's Broadway roundabout.
Made up of two globes, one inside the other and cast in silver and white steel, it symbolises the rising of the sun and new hope for Belfast's future.
It appears to rest on a bed of reeds – a reference to the natural heritage of the neighbouring Bog Meadows, with lights at the end of each 'reed' reflecting on the two globes.
A time capsule is to be buried at the base of the sculpture and contains messages from school children from the greater Village and lower Falls area, about their hopes for the future and how they would like to see their native Belfast in the year 2036.
The Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile, described the sculpture as "a truly magnificent structure – a new icon and a symbol for the new Belfast."
He added: "It symbolises a rising city, one looking to each new dawn with hope and confidence. It provides a stunning welcome to visitors to Belfast and will be an inspiration to all our citizens for years to come."
RISE cost £486,000, with £330,000 coming from the Department for Social Development, £100,000 from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, via Lottery funding, and £56,000 from Belfast City Council.
Some 85 per cent of the budget was spent here in Northern Ireland, with the twin globes – made up of more than 65,000 individual parts – manufactured at the M Hasson and Sons Ltd steelworks in Rasharkin, who also assembled the sculpture at the Broadway site.
Artist Wolfgang Buttress praised the commitment and skill of the local workforce who involved in bringing the project to fruition and commented: "RISE is a testament to the amazing engineering skills that can still be found in Northern Ireland.
"Hasson's are the best steel fabricators I have ever worked with; without their dedication and perseverance, RISE would not be standing now, and the legacy which has been created is a celebration of what can be achieved here in Belfast and Northern Ireland."
Chief Executive of the Arts Council, Roisin McDonough, added: "RISE is a bold artistic statement about our growing confidence in the future of this great city. Standing as a distinctive feature on the Belfast landscape and as a major gateway to the city, the sculpture is a positive landmark, signposting Belfast as a city that believes in and is prepared to invest in its potential."
(GK)
The landmark sculpture, named RISE, was designed by Nottingham artist Wolfgang Buttressis and is situated on the city's Broadway roundabout.
Made up of two globes, one inside the other and cast in silver and white steel, it symbolises the rising of the sun and new hope for Belfast's future.
It appears to rest on a bed of reeds – a reference to the natural heritage of the neighbouring Bog Meadows, with lights at the end of each 'reed' reflecting on the two globes.
A time capsule is to be buried at the base of the sculpture and contains messages from school children from the greater Village and lower Falls area, about their hopes for the future and how they would like to see their native Belfast in the year 2036.
The Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile, described the sculpture as "a truly magnificent structure – a new icon and a symbol for the new Belfast."
He added: "It symbolises a rising city, one looking to each new dawn with hope and confidence. It provides a stunning welcome to visitors to Belfast and will be an inspiration to all our citizens for years to come."
RISE cost £486,000, with £330,000 coming from the Department for Social Development, £100,000 from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, via Lottery funding, and £56,000 from Belfast City Council.
Some 85 per cent of the budget was spent here in Northern Ireland, with the twin globes – made up of more than 65,000 individual parts – manufactured at the M Hasson and Sons Ltd steelworks in Rasharkin, who also assembled the sculpture at the Broadway site.
Artist Wolfgang Buttress praised the commitment and skill of the local workforce who involved in bringing the project to fruition and commented: "RISE is a testament to the amazing engineering skills that can still be found in Northern Ireland.
"Hasson's are the best steel fabricators I have ever worked with; without their dedication and perseverance, RISE would not be standing now, and the legacy which has been created is a celebration of what can be achieved here in Belfast and Northern Ireland."
Chief Executive of the Arts Council, Roisin McDonough, added: "RISE is a bold artistic statement about our growing confidence in the future of this great city. Standing as a distinctive feature on the Belfast landscape and as a major gateway to the city, the sculpture is a positive landmark, signposting Belfast as a city that believes in and is prepared to invest in its potential."
(GK)
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Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:A dry night, save for a few light showers around the coasts, with prolonged clear spells and light winds bringing a frosty dawn for many in central and southern parts. Minimum temperature -3 °C.
