Mystery Mine heart sculpture reappears at City Art Centre exhibition

IT arrived mysteriously underneath the Scott Monument on Valentine's Day '“ before being revealed as the ultimate act of love.

Mine Girl was erected at the Scott Monument in the dead of night for the most romantic day of the year. Picture: PA

Now the Mine Girl sculpture – based on Banksy’s Girl With The Balloon – is to go on display in the Capital.

The sculpture, which curators hope will appeal to visitors’ romantic side, will join hundreds of objects from Edinburgh’s museum and gallery collections in alphabet-themed exhibition “An A-Z of the City’s Collections”.

The intriguing piece of art captured the interest of the Capital when it first appeared, promoting speculation over its meaning.

The artist, who was intent on retaining his and his wife’s anonymity, asked the Evening News to liaise with the city council to help determine Mine Girl’s next public airing.

Mrs Grantsy wrote about her delight in learning that she will now see the sculpture again at the City Art Centre.

In an e-mail to the Evening News, she said: “We gave up all rights to her on Valentine’s day.

“Other than Valentine’s day I have not seen her properly so am very much looking forward to the exhibition.”

In what will be a first for the city, this major exhibition opening this month will spell out the story of Edinburgh and its people through an “alphabet” of themes showcasing objects and artworks the city has unearthed, retrieved, collected and received as gifts.

The the Grantsy sculpture will come under the letter “X”, which stands for kisses.

Councillor Richard Lewis, the city’s culture leader, said: “Leaving the sculpture at the foot of the landmark was a unique and romantic gesture, so this is a fun move to feature it in the City Art Centre’s 
summer exhibition.

“The display itself will be a love letter of sorts, celebrating Edinburgh, the city’s art and its artefacts.

“In our Edinburgh Alphabet, the letter X stands for Kisses and the display will feature historic handwritten postcards by Edinburgh people and Scottish love tokens alongside Grantsy’s piece.”

And throughout the city’s cultural collections, similarly deeply personal objects lie.

Not necessarily the most valuable objects in the city’s care, these fragments tell the tale of past love stories and personal connections and will be displayed alongside Mine Girl.

Displays under ‘X’ will show historic examples of simple acts of love including an early 19th-century postcard wishing “Daddy happy birthday from Mummy and Baba” – a poignant trace of family love and affection that have survived across time.

The mysterious sculpture by ‘Grantsy’ is a contemporary example of how people find creative and heartfelt ways to show their love.

Spanning 60,000 years and over 300 items, the exhibition will combine artworks and artefacts across four floors of the City Art Centre from May 19.

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