Ian Curtis mural to return to Manchester’s Northern Quarter
One year after the iconic Ian Curtis mural was covered up, a new painting by the same artist is set to replace it in the Northern Quarter district of Manchester.
In August of last year, the tribute to the Joy Division frontman was destroyed by an advert to promote Manchester rapper Aitch’s debut album, Close To Home. The rapper then made a statement on Twitter in which he promised to make things right, stating, “I don’t just choose locations for billboards, this is the first time I’ve seen it myself. Getting fixed as we speak”.
He continued, “It’s come to light that the iconic Ian Curtis mural on Port Street has been painted over with my album artwork. This is the first time I’ve heard of this. Me and my team are getting this fixed pronto. No way on earth would I want to disrespect a local hero like Ian.”
The mural was painted in 2020 by an artist named Aske, who took to Instagram at the time to share, “It had become a cultural landmark and meant so much to people from Manchester and beyond. It doesn’t take much common sense to understand that this mural should have remained for what it represented and stood for.”
As promised, the destroyed mural is now being replaced. The painting will be a near replica of the original mural, painted by the same artist, Akse. However, the artwork will be in a new location. An application has been submitted for permission to paint it on the Star and Garter Pub on Fairfield Street.
The application stated, “The mural of Ian Curtis had been painted on the wall of 75 Port Street in October 2020 and was opened to celebrate World Mental Health day and support Manchester Mind, Help Musicians and promote the 24/7 wellbeing text service Shout”.
They continued, “The mural was overpainted with a music advertisement in August 2022 leading to a public outcry within the Manchester community and the wider music community. The search for an alternate wall, ideally within the Northern Quarter began in later August 2022, with the Star and Garter offered as a prospective site.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.