The Urban Cartographer Really Likes Belfast

 QUICK AND SIMPLE GALLERY INDEX
MAY 2025 VISIT TO BELFAST DECEMBER 2025 VISIT TO BELFAST

铁铸之魂

ABOUT THE MAY VISIT

SPOT THE OPTICAL ILLUSION

ECO AT QUEENS

This is "ECO" (2004–2005), a monumental sculpture by the Breton artist Marc Didou. It was installed in 2008 to celebrate the university's centenary and mark the opening of the new library. Standing 2.5 metres tall, it’s a striking piece of contemporary public art that perfectly juxtaposes the classic red brick of the campus.

As a photographer, I have always been drawn to ECO. I’ve shot it dozens of times, fascinated by its texture. The sculpture is constructed from stacked layers of bronze, mimicking the cross-sectional data slices of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan—a signature technique of Didou, who loves blending classical materials with modern scientific imaging.

I always interpreted it as a single, towering, digitized head rising from a heavy, abstract base. I admired the way light catches the ridges of the bronze plates and how its silhouette changes depending on where you stand on the granite paving.

But recently, I discovered I have been completely blind to the artist's true intent. I was missing half the sculpture.

The "Aha!" Moment

It turns out, that "abstract base" isn't a base at all. "ECO" is actually a complex, dual form depicting two heads. The top section is an upright head, and the bottom section is an inverted, distorted reflection of that head.

Didou has created a brilliant optical illusion using a technique called anamorphosis. Because the layers break up the smooth contour of a face, your brain doesn't immediately register the bottom half as anatomy. It just reads it as a pedestal.

The sculpture is a modern nod to the myth of Narcissus gazing at his reflection in a pool of water. The point where the two heads meet represents the water's surface.

I have to admit, I was amazed that I missed it. Despite studying it through a lens multiple times, I fell squarely into the artist's visual trap. It was a humbling reminder that sometimes, as photographers, we get so caught up in the composition, the light, and the angles that we miss the deeper story staring right back at us.

BELFAST CITY
ECO AT QUEENS PHOTO GALLERY MAY 2025
PHOTO GALLERY DECEMBER
ABOUT THE OPTICAL ILLUSION

THE BIG EVENT IN DECEMBER WAS A VISIT TO BELFAST

DECEMBER IN BELFAST

CHAINSAW ART IN THE PARK

THE GUARDIAN OF THE OAKS

The Sculpture: A Eurasian Jay

At first glance, the figure might be mistaken for a bird of prey due to its prominent perch, but it is, in fact, a Eurasian Jay. Created by the local chainsaw artist known as "Haze," the piece displays the rugged texture typical of chainsaw carving while capturing the distinct profile of the bird.

The detail crucial to understanding the work lies in the bird's beak: it is holding an acorn.

CHAINSAW ART IN THE PARK DECEMBER IN BELFAST
THE PHOTO GALLERY
THE ART AND THE ARTIST

THIS LINE DRAWING IS ACCURATE

WHERE I WAS BASED IN MAY AND DECEMBER

THE MALDRON HOTEL

About the Maldron Hotel Belfast City

The hotel itself is a relatively modern addition to the city's hospitality landscape, having officially opened in May 2018.

Features: It is a 4-star property operated by the Dalata Hotel Group. It features roughly 237 rooms, meeting facilities, and the brand's signature "Grain & Grill" bar and restaurant.

Location Context: The hotel is situated near Blackstaff Square and is just a short walk from key landmarks like the Grand Opera House, Great Victoria Street Station, and the Crown Liquor Saloon.

Historical Nods: The hotel embraces the area's history as the "Linen Quarter." For instance, one of its meeting rooms was named "The Boyd" after a family connection to the linen industry in the adjacent building, acknowledging the industrial heritage of the streets surrounding the hotel.

THE DRAWINGS BELOW ARE ARTIST IMPRESSIONS AND ARE NOT ACCURATE

Custom House Square And Nearby

Custom House Square And Nearby

on Tuesday, 10th February

In Your Face Mural On South James Street

In Your Face Mural On South James Street

on Monday, 9th February

Landseer Street Off Stranmillis Road

Landseer Street Off Stranmillis Road

on Sunday, 8th February

Street Art At Lower Granville Street

Street Art At Lower Granville Street

on Sunday, 8th February

Cheers Is An Example Of Paint-A-Box Street Art By Zippy

Cheers The Paint-A-Box Art By Zippy

on Saturday, 7th February

Belfast Grand Central

Belfast Grand Central

on Friday, 6th February

The Botanic Gardens In Belfast

The Botanic Gardens In Belfast

on Wednesday, 4th February

My First Fisit To Ravenhill Road In Belfast

My First Fisit To Ravenhill Road In Belfast

on Tuesday, 3rd February

Unusual Stevenson Screen In Belfast

Unusual Stevenson Screen In Belfast

on Tuesday, 3rd February

Maugrim The Wolf By Maurice Harron

Maugrim The Wolf Sculpture By Maurice Harron

on Sunday, 1st February

Brunswick Street May 2025

Brunswick Street In Belfast May 2025

on Saturday, 6th December

I Photograpged The Lagan Weir At Night Using A Leica Q3

The Lagan Weir At Night

on Saturday, 6th December

The Regeneration Sculpture Has Been Removed

The Victoria Square Shopping Centre

on Saturday, 6th December

Titanica Is A Sculpture By Rowan Gillespie

Titanica The Sculpture

on Saturday, 6th December

Has Been Removed

Keylands Park As It Was In May 2012

on Friday, 5th December

The Regeneration Sculpture Has Been Removed

Three Sculptures In Belfast

on Friday, 5th December

Walking Tour: Belfast Street Art 2025

The 2025 Cathedral Quarter Art Walk

Distance: 1.5 km (20 mins walk) • Time: Allow 1 hour • Start: Telegraph Building
1

The New Arrival (Start)

Target: Friz & Gerry Norman – UNESCO City of Music
Location: The Telegraph Building, 124-144 Donegall St
GPS: 54.6033, -5.9312

Start here to see the newest addition to the city (unveiled Nov 2025). This massive mural celebrates Belfast's status as a UNESCO City of Music and sets the tone for the "new" Belfast.

2

The Canyon (Talbot Street)

Targets: MTO, My Dog Sighs, Sabek, Dan Kitchener
Location: 21 Talbot Street (War Memorial Car Park)
GPS: 54.6025, -5.9279

Directions: Walk down Donegall Street and turn left onto Talbot Street.

  • Look Left (Car Park): MTO’s Son of Protagoras (The Boy with the Dove).
  • Look Right (No. 16): Lidia Cao’s The Last Thing to Lose is Hope.
  • Look Up: My Dog Sighs’ The Eye (Check the reflection for the Albert Clock).
3

The Industrial Heart

Target: ADW – Deep Love (The Diver)
Location: Belfast City Council Depot, 16 Dunbar St
GPS: 54.6030, -5.9262

Directions: Continue to the end of Talbot Street and turn left. The Depot is the large red brick building.

The diver is on the corner wall. Bonus: Walk slightly past the depot to Dunbar Link to spot the Pierced Nose utility box by Irony.

4

The Hidden Courtyard

Target: Courtyard Installations
Location: Bullitt Hotel, 40a Church Lane
GPS: 54.5996, -5.9250

Directions: Loop back south towards the city centre and enter the Bullitt Hotel courtyard.

This area is public access (via Church Lane) and often hosts smaller, intimate pieces. A perfect spot to end the tour with a coffee.

+

Optional Extension: Linen Quarter

Target: Studio Giftig – Linen & Flax
Location: 19 James Street South
GPS: 54.5954, -5.9328

If you have energy, walk 10 minutes south past City Hall to see this massive photorealistic mural connecting art to industry.

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