Belfast’s anti-cultural icons showcased at Waterfront

Anti’ - an exhibition paying homage to ten of Belfast’s most influential cultural icons - has opened at Belfast Waterfront as part of the trans 09 festival.

‘Anti’ documents the icons - people, places, songs, clubs and nights - that helped shape Belfast’s cultural heritage. Many of the icons originate from the Seventies and Eighties and are rooted in a level of ‘Anti’-establishment feeling that had a particular resonance.

People were invited to submit their own personal icons for the exhibition - those which they identified as having an impact on their lives and our wider cultural heritage. ‘Anti’ is an installation which reflects their collective voice.

The ten ‘Anti’ icons selected for the exhibition are:

Terri Hooley, the ‘godfather’ of Ulster punk;
the Undertones’ anthem, ‘Teenage Kicks’;
the DJ and composer David Holmes;
Fastfude, the online resource for the Northern Ireland music scene;
‘Across The Line’, BBC Radio Ulster’s programme dedicated to the local music scene;
Giros, the iconic punk / rock band venue;
‘The night the Clash didn't play’;
Therapy? - one of Ulster’s most successful punk rock bands;
‘A Little Solidarity’, a series of groundbreaking gigs by mostly unsigned bands; and
Rudi, one of Ulster’s most influential punk rock bands.

The ‘Anti’ icons have been displayed on toilet walls to reflect the gritty reality of the context in which they existed.

The often bleak setting young people in Belfast found themselves in, particularly during the height of the ‘troubles,’ meant that many threw themselves enthusiastically into the music scene and if that scene embodied a rejection of the status quo, then all the better. ‘Anti’ portrays this alternative culture, ensuring that when people look at the cultural heritage of Belfast they get more than ‘two tribes.’

Adam Turkington, Belfast Waterfront’s Arts and Community Coordinator and organiser of ‘Anti’, told Pied Piper:

“Belfast is steeped in culture. But we often fail to appreciate the full importance, magnitude and impact of the city’s popular music heritage - particularly that which has its roots in the ‘darker’ days of our recent history.

“This exhibition shows that there has always been a much more positive, creative and optimistic side to this great city.”

‘Anti’ is on display at Belfast Waterfront until Friday 31 July.

‘Anti’ is part of trans 09, Belfast’s summer festival which, until 31 July, is showcasing the cream of emerging contemporary arts talent from across Ireland, the United Kingdom and overseas. Full details of all trans events are listed in the trans 09 brochure and online at www.transbelfast.com