Flowers in a Terracotta Vase (1736–7) by internationally-renowned Dutch painter Jan van Huysum has arrived at East Belfast’s Portview Trade Centre and will be on display in until August 17^th, giving locals a unique opportunity to see a classic masterpiece.

In Northern Ireland, the curation of the painting’s touring exhibition has been entrusted to a group of young programmers from Reimagine, Remake, Replay (RRR) – a project that engages 16 to 25-year-olds in museums across NI, using digital technology and creative media to interpret collections.

In collaboration with Urban Scale Interventions, National Museums NI and The National Portrait Gallery, the RRR group is the first to take over a new community gallery space in Portview Trade Centre, called ‘What’s the Story?’ The aptly named ‘What’s the Story?’ campaign aims to celebrate stories of East Belfast, both old and new in what was once the world’s biggest flax row spinning mill.

“We’re delighted to host our first major exhibition at Portview, the first of many cultural exhibitions to be unveiled as part of this campaign,” said Claire Hall, Projects Producer at Urban Scale Interventions, and Lead of the What’s the Story? campaign. “This is a community space where everyone will be welcomed to tell their story of the former Strand Spinning Mill and you don’t have to be a major curator to tell it, real people and real stories from all walks of life are invited to tell their tale.”

Gareth Neill, Operations Manager at Portview said, “We’re encouraging people to come along and discover more about the heritage of Portview as we build towards the regeneration of the wider site. The ‘What’s the Story’ campaign will also help shape the future of Portview Trade Centre as people are encouraged to share how they would like to see this local site develop and be utilised for the benefit of generations to come, transforming it into a creative social hub, with Heritage at its core.”

Admission to the exhibition is free and booking is not required however, capacity is limited. Visitors will be able to participate in free tote bag making and virtual reality experiences on Saturday August 14^th.