Iron:Man

Iron:Man stands in Victoria Square, Birmingham, a six-metre iron figure by Antony Gormley. It weighs six tonnes and leans slightly backwards and to the left. The sculpture was cast in Willenhall and installed in 1993 as a gift from the Trustee Savings Bank. Originally unnamed, it became known as Iron Man and later Iron:Man at the artist’s request. Early critics claimed it would rust, but Gormley explained the iron was chosen to develop a protective surface layer. The statue represents the skills of Birmingham and the Black Country during the Industrial Revolution. It was briefly controversial when the bank moved its headquarters away, with some calling for it to be removed. However, as a gift to the city, it remained in place. A smaller version once stood in the Jewellery Quarter before being moved to the Birmingham Museum Collection Centre. Visitors find Iron:Man in Victoria Square, a public space in the city centre. The sculpture’s oxidised surface gives it a changing appearance over time. After temporary removal for tram works, it returned to a new position in the square in 2022. The area around it is a busy pedestrian space with fountains and historic buildings.