Three Virtues

The first permanent artwork to emerge from IOTA is located at the end of Church Street and was designed by Matt Baker. His striking installation, Three Virtues, was developed in response to local memories and affection for the Victorian statues – Faith, Hope and Charity – removed from Inverness in the 1950s.

A six month quest took place to engage the public in a conversation about which contemporary values residents felt should guide the city for the century ahead. Various groups and the general public were able to submit their ideas at discussion groups, by text or email. Matt had the unenviable task of selecting three from over 100 suggestions.

The virtues of Perseverance, Open-Heartedness and Insight are now represented in the street by three loping ‘outcrops’ of naturally riven Caithness stone which appear to have erupted through the paved surfaces around them. Each outcrop is inscribed with one of the new virtues (in English, Gaelic and Old Norse) and from each is growing a birch tree – the birch being one of the pioneer species of the Caledonian Forest.

An innovative launch in March 2008 brought artist-designed window displays, Gaelic, song, poetry, blessings and hot soup to warmly welcome the community to use this new space. After some initial bemusement, the Three Virtues is now establishing itself as a popular local meeting place and the spaces created by the artwork are attracting a diverse array of users from children playing and adults lunching to choirs performing and even wedding parties having their photos taken.