'Belfast landmark' has new home: Flying statues of Shaftesbury Square installed on museum
Two famous flying figures which disappeared from view in Belfast almost three years ago are back.
The two aluminium figures – officially called the Airborne Men – have been installed on the side of the Ulster Museum in Botanic Gardens in south Belfast.
They previously stood from 1964 to summer 2023 on the side of the Ulster Bank building in Shaftesbury Square – one of the city’s major traffic and pedestrian junctions.
The museum describes them as a “Belfast landmark”, adding: “Ulster Museum has proudly welcomed the sculptures into the permanent collection, strengthening its commitment to preserving and sharing significant works of public art.
"Their installation on such a recognised building, overlooking Botanic Gardens, will give people the chance to reconnect with one of the city’s most-loved artworks, while also strengthening the museum’s commitment to preserving and showcasing exceptional artworks that hold cultural and historical significance.”
The figures are the work of sculptor Elisabeth Frink, and had been commissioned by architects Houston & Beaumont and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
Some had nicknamed the sculptures “draft and underdraft”.
Ulster Bank announced in 2013 that its Shaftesbury Square branch was shutting down, though the bank retained its involvement with the building until 2023.
At that point, it decided to gift the statues to the museum.
Since the statues have been taken down from the Shafesbury Square building, they have been replaced with a mural of an upended fish with many eyes.