Walking daily past the old museum building, I had paid attention to the cracks and the wee plants and trees growing from it. The portico has two Greek style columns at the doorway and is an exact copy of the portico in the octagon Tower of Winds (or Adronicus) in Athens, which is believed to be the world's first meteorological station. The reminiscence of past colonial wealth and of better times. The windows are protected from vandalism, but often litter could be seen in front of the building, an occasional syringe reminding of other kind of cracks in the society. I had assumed the building abandoned, beautiful architecture from the 19th century slowly eroding away until space was needed for accommodation. Maybe for social housing like down the road or for student flats like opposite of it. Yet, my curiosity about the local streets and maps had led me to check this specific building out, as it was one of the few old buildings still existing in the area. There are still occasional lectures or events organised in the building and attempts to save the protected site.

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The Public Arts Garage project nearing to conclusion, I walked past it daily, giving an occasional glance at the pillars, which reminded me of colonialism, power and masculinity. The colonnade carries the same weight of its symbolism, which begs the question, what is the purpose of it at the side of the Contemporary Art building. Like these two pillars, they do not seem to support anything material. A vertical element, reaching up to the skies, far above our heads, giving the space feeling of order, strength and balance. The Greek columns can be seen symbolising trees, slender and straight, but also as a way to portray a connection to the sky, to the gods. These two columns seem out of place, telling another story. They are not reaching to the skies but seem to be carrying its weight on them, resisting the erosion, stubbornly standing straight, not giving in.

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It is not until now, after three years of walking past this site daily, that I notice another two columns fighting for attention. They resemble of what I would have thought of as old traffic barricade pillars, made of dark rock. That is why I maybe never noticed them, forgotten pillars, not meant to bother a passer-by. But the moment I actually saw them, I understood that they are meant to be seen. They are there to showcase a piece of a most spectacular rock formation in Northern Ireland. Two columns from the Giant’s Causeway, displaced, forgotten.

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Walking has been central to the Public Arts Garage project for our group. Starting from the first walk around Montreal trying to find “our” space, to exploring this space, the colonnade, together, then walking around Belfast and finally me taking them for a fragmented walk, showing another colonnade in the Giant’s Causeway. On our walks, we talked, exchanged ideas, exploring the spaces, the cracks, the different perspectives. Through this exploration and exchange, I began to take notice of different elements in my own surroundings. Maybe, had I not taken Carina and Margaret to the Giant’s Causeway as part of this process, I would have never noticed those two rocks, so out of place and yet blending in the city scape, shadowed by the Greek Columns.

 

The Old Museum Building: Built 1831

 

https://www.oldmuseumbuilding.org.uk/

https://www.ulsterarchitecturalheritage.org.uk/case-studies/old-museum-building/