Environment & green action
24 Aug 2022 - Elliott Brown
Gallery
PoliNations coming to Victoria Square in September 2022
PoliNations is coming to Victoria Square from the 2nd to 18th September 2022. A free event. Following the end of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, this is part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, and they are putting it up in the last three weeks of August 2022. Elliott got a first glimpse on Saturday 20th August 2022 on passing through Victoria Square.
PoliNations coming to Victoria Square in September 2022
PoliNations is coming to Victoria Square from the 2nd to 18th September 2022. A free event. Following the end of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, this is part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, and they are putting it up in the last three weeks of August 2022. Elliott got a first glimpse on Saturday 20th August 2022 on passing through Victoria Square.
PoliNations is part of Unboxed Creativity in the UK. During the last three weeks of August 2022, after the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games things were dismantled (including Hew Locke's Foreign Exchange on the Queen Victoria statue). PoliNations moved in.
The free event is due to take place from the 2nd to 18th September 2022.
Step into a spectacular city-centre garden of magical proportions where you will be welcomed by an epic array of colour and nature.
Giant architectural trees and thousands of plants will transform Victoria Square into an urban oasis, which will host free events, workshops and performances including live music, dance, spoken word and drag.
This supernatural wonderland uncovers the origin stories of the plants we know so well – daisies, pansies, apple trees, roses – in fact these, and most of the plants we see in our gardens are not from the UK. They tell the story of journeys, movement, dispersal, and new roots.
PoliNations is a celebration of colour, beauty, and of natural diversity. Explore, enjoy and be your true unique self. You can experience music from around the world, an incredible light show each evening, and a grand finale like no other where the tree’s canopies will burst into a joyful cloud of confetti and colour.
This is Carnival and Holi combined in one brilliant, messy, playful party and everyone is invited.
I first spotted the giant trees from Chamberlain Square.
They encourage people to get public transport to PoliNations, including the West Midlands Metro, get off at Town Hall Tram Stop. Also in walking distance of the main railway stations and your bus stops.
Art; Culture & creativity
12 Apr 2021 - Elliott Brown
Gallery
The Big Egg Hunt in Victoria Square, February 2013
Lets time travel back to February 2013, when for a week, The Big Egg Hunt was on around Birmingham City Centre. 101 eggs to find. These were the eggs that were in Victoria Square at the time. Plus some Lindt Gold bunny's! The trail went nationwide at the time. Does anyone remember them? Hope everyone had a nice 2nd Covid Easter Bank Holiday Weekend break at home.
The Big Egg Hunt in Victoria Square, February 2013
Lets time travel back to February 2013, when for a week, The Big Egg Hunt was on around Birmingham City Centre. 101 eggs to find. These were the eggs that were in Victoria Square at the time. Plus some Lindt Gold bunny's! The trail went nationwide at the time. Does anyone remember them? Hope everyone had a nice 2nd Covid Easter Bank Holiday Weekend break at home.
THE BIG EGG HUNT
VICTORIA SQUARE
FEBRUARY 2013
Coming to Central Birmingham in the last week of February 2013, was The Big Egg Hunt. A trail of 101 painted Easter Eggs. The trail went around all the major Cities in the UK, including Birmingham. And they would be auctioned off at the end of the trail for charity.
There was loads of Easter Eggs in Victoria Square, too many to take in one go, so I only took photos of a couple of them at the time. This view to the Council House.
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Humpty Dumpty to the far left, a Lindt Gold Bunny on the right.
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The charity was Action for Children. The trail was fun for kids and adults alike to see.
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View of all the Big Eggs towards 130 Colmore Row, at the Colmore Row corner with Waterloo Street. This was the site from 1901 to 1970 of Galloway's Corner.
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A Frugal Meal
Near the bottom of the steps at Victoria Square was this caricature of King George III eating a egg in a egg cup. A Frugal Meal by the artist Charlie Billingham. Lot No. 14.
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Leafy Abstract
This green egg looked a bit like a dinosaur egg. Was near the bottom of the steps close to one of the Sphinx Guardians. Leafy Abstract by the artist Laura Morrison. Lot No. 41.
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Humpty Dumpty
Careful that you don't knock Humpty Dumpty over or he'd break up into a million of pieces!
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Lindt Gold Bunny
One of the Lindt Gold Bunny's in Victoria Square at the time.
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Another Lindt Gold Bunny
A giant Lindt Gold Bunny surrounded by fences.
dndimg alt="The Big Egg Hunt" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Big Egg Hunt VS (Feb 2013) (8).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
More Lindt Gold Bunny's
About four Lindt Gold Bunny's outside of the main entrance to the Council House, with Starbucks Coffee to the right.
dndimg alt="The Big Egg Hunt" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Big Egg Hunt VS (Feb 2013) (10).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Hope you had a nice Easter 2021 and Passover 5781.
Art; Culture & creativity
30 Jun 2020 - Elliott Brown
Gallery
Whatever happened to Antony Gormley's Iron:Man in Victoria Square?
Iron:Man by Anthony Gormley was originally located in Victoria Square from 1993 until it was moved to storage in 2017. Originally named Untitled but nicknamed as Iron:Man. The TSB used to be in Victoria Square House and it was their gift to the City (until their HQ moved to Bristol). When will it return and where will it go?
Whatever happened to Antony Gormley's Iron:Man in Victoria Square?
Iron:Man by Anthony Gormley was originally located in Victoria Square from 1993 until it was moved to storage in 2017. Originally named Untitled but nicknamed as Iron:Man. The TSB used to be in Victoria Square House and it was their gift to the City (until their HQ moved to Bristol). When will it return and where will it go?
The statue of the Iron:Man used to be located in Victoria Square from March 1993 until it was removed to storage in September 2017, to make way for the Westside Metro extension to Centenary Square. While this extension opened in December 2019, Antony Gormley's Iron:Man has yet to return. As new paving was being laid in Victoria Square. And as far as I am aware, it is not yet finished (I've not been back to the City Centre in 3 months of lockdown, but have seen other peoples recent photos of the square).
It was originally a gift to the city from the TSB whose headquarters used to be in Victoria Square House. Unveiled in 1993. It was originally named Untitled but gained the nickname Iron:Man from locals. It is made of iron. The TSB moved out of Victoria Square House when they merged with Lloyds Bank in 1995.
The statue was cast at the Firth Rixon Castings in Willenhall. It represented the traditional skills of Birmingham and the Black Country.
The statue remained in place for many years, it was suggested that it be relocate to Bristol which was the new headquarters location of Lloyds TSB. But as it was a gift to the City of Birmingham it remained here. But it was removed to storage in September 2017 ahead of the building of the Westside Metro extension to Centenary Square (Grand Central Tram Stop to Library Tram Stop).
I would assume that it could return to Victoria Square later in 2020 if the paving is finished.
Iron:Man maquette at the Birmingham Museum Collection Centre
During my September 2018 visit to the Birmingham Museum Collection Centre, while I did not find the full sized Iron:Man, I did find this maquette.
It apparently used to be located at the the Public Art Commissions Agency in the Jewellery Quarter, but for whatever reason, it ended up in storage here in the warehouse.
My first photo of the Iron:Man was taken during April 2009, when I started going around Birmingham with my camera. Here backed with the Town Hall.
dndimg alt="Iron:Man" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IronMan Victoria Sq (Apr 2009).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
The next view of the Iron:Man was taken during May 2009 facing Victoria Square House.
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The Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market was on during November 2009, with this Iron:Man view. You can also see the old 103 Colmore Row AKA National Westminster House by the late John Madin.
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The Iron:Man seen during May 2011. Union Jack bunting was up around Victoria Square near the Town Hall during the early May Bank Holiday weekend that followed the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Aston Villa fan Prince William and Catherine Middleton).
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It was Armed Forces Day in Victoria Square during June 2011. There was members of the British Armed Forces in uniform near the Iron:Man.
Including members of the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and British Army. The Iron:Man had been in this slanted position since being installed back in 1993.
The snow of January 2013 as I headed past the Iron:Man towards Broad Street. Probably the only timed I've caught the Iron:Man covered in snow!
dndimg alt="Iron:Man" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IronMan Victoria Sq (Jan 2013).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Back to Spring like weather in April 2013. And the Iron:Man was witness to the English Market at the St George's Day Celebrations that year.
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The Iron:Man in September 2013 with a British Red Cross tent during the 4 Squares Weekender.
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Caught a glimpse of the Iron:Man in Victoria Square during June 2014 when the Lord Mayors Show 2014 was being held. At the time there was some men doing bike tricks near the Council litter pickers!
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Some of my last views of the Iron:Man. The view below taken in August 2017. A month before being removed to storage.
dndimg alt="Iron:Man" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IronMan Victoria Sq (Aug 2017).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Last views in September 2017. A seagull was standing on Iron:Man's head. And left bird mess on top of it.
Pink Midland Metro Alliance barriers and fences had gone around the statue, as workmen were preparing to remove the statue and take it to storage. About a week after this it was gone.
Iron:Man had been in storage now for almost 3 years. When will he return? Where exactly in Victoria Square will he be placed? Perhaps in front of the Town Hall? Could he come back near the end of 2020?
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