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Confrontier

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Friday (September 27th) saw the launch of Kai Wiedenhöfer’s ‘Wall On Wall’ exhibition, mounted to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Cupar Way “peace” line and the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. On the wall there are 36 images of walls from ten sites across the planet, taken between 1989 and 2018: Baghdad, Korea, Cyprus, USA-Mexico, Spain & Morocco, Israel-Palestine, France-UK, Greece-North Macedonia, Berlin. (His latest book is called Confrontier – the web site includes 53 images.)

See previously, the trial run image of Al Bayya in Baghdad in Wall On Wall.

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06826 [X06823] [X06824] X06825 X06830 [X06829] X06828 X06827 churchill first we shape our buildings and then the buildings start to shape us walls have made a big renaissance a barrier is the proof of human weakness and errors the inability of human beings to communicate with each other the trappings of globalization are deceptive the gap between rich and poor is deepening Irish News

Shoes, No Socks

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Two pieces by FGB (Francois Got Buffed | web | tw), who is keeping an eye on Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter and the threat of redevelopment by TBC.

Also recently by FGB: Spontaneous Combustion

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Something In The Air

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Clonard monastery (and church of the Holy Redeemer) date back to 1897, built on the grounds of Clonard House (1843) and including 3.5 acres to provide spiritual services to the burgeoning Catholic population of west Belfast, about 30,000 in number (Ita | Rafferty). On the night of August 15th, 1969, the complex came perilously close to destruction, like the houses in the streets around it, but became of focal point of locals’ attempts to defend the area (Murray).

For other posts about the 50th anniversary of the August riots, see The Pogrom Of 1969 | Clonard Remembers | End Apartheid | Derry, Enniskillen, Aughrim, And Ardoyne.

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End Apartheid

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15 year-old Fıan Gerald McAuley was the first member of the IRA to die in the Troubles. He was shot in Waterville Street by a loyalist sniper while helping people move from burned-out homes in Bombay Street, along which the “peace” line separating the Falls and Shankill now runs, overlooking the Clonard Memorial Garden, site of the service for the 50th anniversary of McAuley’s death. In the windows of a nearby house we also see a poster in support of Palestine and a Bobby Sands-Che Guevara hurl.

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Wall On Wall

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The Berlin Wall fell in 1989 but dividing walls all over the world still stand. Kai Wiedenhöfer’s Wall On Wall exhibition comes to Belfast later in the month (the launch is September 27th at 4 pm), placing images of dividing walls on Belfast’s own dividing wall, the Cupar Way “peace” line. Shown above is the image of the wall in Al Bayya (Baiyya) in the Al Rashid district, part of the 700 km of walls in Baghdad, Iraq (Browse Gallery), which was pasted onto the “peace” line as a trial for the forthcoming exhibition. As usual, it has been vandalised by tourists and their patronising slogans (and political statements: “Hong Kong is doesn’t have to be a part of China!”). Wiedenhöfer’s image of the Occupied Territories was on Free Derry Corner in 2013 (see Ramallah, Israeli City Of Culture) and three images of Belfast were pasted onto the Berlin Wall in 2013 (Irish Times).

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Squeak Seymour Memorial Parade

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The East Belfast UVF memorial parade primarily commemorates hitman Robert ‘Squeak’ Seymour, who killed the IRA’s James Burns in his own home in 1981. He was killed by the IRA in 1988. Here is video from the 2019 parade. Seymour’s portrait is included in Ballymacarrett (see Standing Guard) and in London Road (Ulster’s Brave).

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X06578 on the belvoir bar, Newtownards Rd

It’s Fun In The Sun

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Ian Paisley Jr’s foreign trips were back in the limelight in June with a new Spotlight investigation into their funding (BBC iPlayer). This time, the allegation is that a government minister from the Maldives paid for a family holiday; last year, he was suspended from parliament over two trips funded by the Sri Lankan government. He is shown here taking video of Tamils killed (perhaps in 2009) by government forces, laid out on a beach in a row (the image of Paisley is in fact from 2007, at Stormont). Work (presumably) by TLO (web) in Garfield Street, Belfast.

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Same Difference

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Photographer Stephen Wilson’s exhibition ‘Same Difference’ shows images from two churches only 100 metres apart on the Donegall Street – the Catholic St Patrick’s (web) and the Protestant Redeemer Central (web).

The photographs, and images of them on display in the two churches, can be seen at the exhibition’s web page.

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Orange Fest

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There is a now-annual campaign to discourage excessive drinking and focus on “heritage, tradition, respect, remembrance, culture” during 12th celebrations, rebranded as the more family-friendly “Orange Fest’. Sponsored by the Policing And Community Safety Partnership (web | tw | Fb) Here is 2016’s campaign: Battle Of The Bottle.

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Spontaneous Combustion

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Brennan’s chippie in North Street suffered a fire (and burglary) at the beginning of April that closed the store (Belfast Live). They hope to be open again in two weeks. In the meantime, citizens are urged to be aware of spontaneous combustion “by order of Fire General Bob” (FBG).

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