Arts Trail:
1. The Ikon Gallery and Oozells Square
The Ikon Gallery is a modern art gallery in a building converted from what was
once Oozells Street School. The square in front and its water feature were
designed as part of the Brindley Place redevelopment. It is surrounded by
offices and restaurants.
2. The Battle of the Gods and the Giants
Roderick Tye, 1991
This work is a giant bronze cloud. You can find it between the International
Convention Centre and the canal. Some people think it looks like a bunch of
grapes.
3. Glass Artwork
by Alexander Beleschenko, 1989-91
This giant artwork is part of the windows in the canal entrance to the ICC. It is
made of over 50,000 pieces of handmade coloured glass, sandwiched
between two sheets of toughened glass.
4 Birdlife
by Ron Haselden, 1988-91
Birdlife is a neon sculpture above the main entrance to the International
Convention Centre. The neons lights make a tree shape surrounded by
different types of birds. The neons are switched on and off by a computer to
look like birds in flight.
5. Forward
by Raymond Mason, 1991
Forward is ten metres long - the biggest piece of art in Centenary Square. The
statue is made of fibreglass resin and caused many arguments when it was
put up in 1991. It represents the progress of Birmingham people and industry
towards a thriving multicultural future. The figures are from Birmingham’s
past and present – they include children, industrial workers, craftspeople and
teachers.
6. Centenary Square
by Tess Jaray, 1991
Centenary Square was designed by Tess Jaray with Birmingham City
Architects. The paving used 500,000 bricks in four colours to look like a giant
carpet. All the seats, lighting and railings in Centenary Square were designed
by Tess Jaray and Tom Lomax, with the city architects.
7. Spirit of Enterprise
by Tom Lomax, 1991
Spirit of Enterprise in Centenary Square is a fountain with three heads and
three bronze dishes, facing in different directions. They represent
commerce, industry and enterprise.
8. Hall of Memory
The Hall of Memory was put up as part of the first redevelopment of this area.
It is a memorial to Birmingham veterans who died in the wars of the twentieth
century. Around the Hall of Memory are four bonze sculptures by Albert Toft,
1923-4.
9. Industry and Genius
Industry and genius commemorates John Baskerville, Birmingham’s famous
printer. It is outside Baskerville House in Centenary Square, close to where
John Baskerville’s house once was. The stone letters spell out Virgil, the first
book he printed in his famous Baskerville font in 1757.10. Thomas
Attwood
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to
by Sioban Copinger, 1993
CD1, 40
On the steps of Chamberlain Square is this statue of Thomas Attwood. He
was born in 1783 and became a banker and Member of Parliament. Attwood
founded the Birmingham Political Union and campaigned for reform of
parliament.
11. Queen Victoria
by Thomas Brock, 1901
During the reign of Queen Victoria Birmingham grew to become a great city.
Thomas Brock’s statue of Queen Victoria was unveiled just 12 days before
she died in January 1901. The first statue was marble but it was damaged by
pollution, so the statue you see today is a bronze cast of the original.
Underneath the statue you can see the pawprint of Ebony, a dog belonging to
one of the workers who rebuilt Victoria Square.
12. Iron Man
by Antony Gormley, 1993
The Iron Man in Victoria Square is one of Birmingham’s greatest pieces of
public art – but not everyone agrees. It was made in Willenhall in four
sections. The cast iron is 20mm thick: altogether the figure is nearly 6 metres
high and weighs 7 tonnes.
13.The River
Dhruva Mistry, 1993
The River is the main piece of public art in Victoria Square. It is one of the
biggest fountains in Europe, with a flow of 70,000 litres of water a minute. In
the upper pool is a bronze figure which represents the life force. It is
nicknamed ‘the floozie in the jacuzzi’. Around the pool is a poem by T.S.
Eliot.
At the bottom of the fountain are two small figures which represent youth. At
each side are stone animals made of the same stone as the council house,
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the Guardians.
CD3, image 5
This is the end of the Arts Trail