About
The Big Fish is a printed ceramic mosaic sculpture by John Kindness. The 10-metre-long (33 ft) statue was constructed in 1999 and installed on Donegall Quay in Belfast, near the Lagan Lookout and Custom House.
The Big Fish’s image appears on tourism material related to Belfast and Northern Ireland. It is a representation of The Salmon of Knowledge (Irish: bradán feasa), a creature figuring in Irish mythology. It is sometimes identified with Fintan mac Bóchra, who was known as “The Wise” and was once transformed into a salmon.
The outer skin of the fish is a cladding of ceramic tiles decorated with texts and images relating to the history of Belfast. According to the Belfast City Council, each scale “tells a story about the city”. Material from Tudor times to present day newspaper headlines are included along with contributions from Belfast school children (including a soldier and an Ulster Fry). The Ulster Museum provided the primary source of historic images, while local schools/day centres located along the line of the River Farset were approached to provide drawings for the fish. Images were provided by Glenwood Primary School, St Comgalls and Everton Day Centres.
The Big Fish contains a time capsule storing information, images, and poetry on the City.