The Arts Council has awarded Devon artist Alex Hartley £500,000 to tow part of an Arctic island to the UK.
Rocks from the island in the Svalbard archipelago north of Norway will be dug by excavator and placed on a barge.
They will then be brought to the UK where they will be put on a floating football pitch-sized platform to create the work, to be called Nowhere Island.
It will be in Weymouth for the Olympic sailing in 2012, before a tug tows it around the South West coast to Bristol.
Gillian Taylor, from Arts Council England, said there would be an environmental education programme linked with the artwork.
The donor island was found by Mr Hartley in 2004
She said: "We wanted something big and special and thought-provoking on an environmental issue.
"Good art is about ideas. And it's going to be a fantastic piece of art work.
"Lots of people will think it is worth the money."
Mr Hartley, from Dunkeswell, fought off a number of competitors to win the race to the £500,000 commission from London 2012 and the Arts Council.
It is one of 12 arts projects chosen nationally to represent each of the UK regions as part of the Cultural Olympiad to run alongside the sporting events in 2012.
It is slightly absurd... but when you see the island there will be magic in it
Artist Alex Hartley
Mr Hartley found the unnamed island on a climate change expedition in 2004.
People will be invited to become citizens of Nowhere Island, although no-one will be allowed on it except Mr Hartley.
After the project finishes the island will be towed back to Norway.
He said: "I'm not going to get rich from this project."
He maintained that the environmental cost of towing the island was outweighed by the "poetry of the project".
"It is slightly absurd, but it is really easy to engage people with.
"When you see the island there will be magic in it."
And todays quote of the day must be
Quote:
He maintained that the environmental cost of towing the island was outweighed by the "poetry of the project".
Well i think driving a D3 is pure poetry so the environmental cost is justified I believe that every human has a finite number of heart-beats. I don't intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises.
Buzz Aldrin (1930 -
23rd Oct 2009 10:32 am
ad15
Member Since: 14 Dec 2008
Location: up that tree
Posts: 4866
lost for words.....one wife.......livid
23rd Oct 2009 10:39 am
countrywide
Member Since: 16 Sep 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 6019
They have congestion charge in London to protect the environment but they allow this to be built
Haven't you just got to take your hat off to the man.....
Two fingers up to the greenies
Not only (apologies to our artistic friends) do you have a medium that serves no real purpose but to make us feel good, which to the eco warriors amongst us means that all the energy used in this escapade is not justifiable but this brave man at great expense (to us) and huge energy resource brings a huge lump of ice from the Arctic to us so that we can see for our selves what global warming does to ice........... .
I would rather put a lump of ice into a glass of scotch and watch it melt...much more enjoyable so I won't be going to see this piece af art.
Is he related to Jeremy Clarkson? or is this a spoof from Newsarse?
Trev.
23rd Oct 2009 1:02 pm
the kergan
Member Since: 01 Dec 2008
Location: Swindon Wiltshire
Posts: 535
Maybe once it has finished being an art statement we could use it as an off shore Pay & Play. I have something to say! It's better to burn out... than to fade away!
23rd Oct 2009 3:34 pm
SN
Member Since: 03 Jan 2006
Location: Romiley
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world's gone mad! Steve N | 21MY Defender | 08MY Discovery 3 (history) | 06MY Discovery 3 (ancient history)
23rd Oct 2009 3:36 pm
Walmsleys
Member Since: 04 Sep 2007
Location: Leyland
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I don't know much about art....2013 D4 HSE Luxe in Indus Silver
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23rd Oct 2009 3:42 pm
disco3kenny
Member Since: 19 Jan 2008
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if we get enough we could vote the w**ker off his little island and plant a D3 flag Steve N | 21MY Defender | 08MY Discovery 3 (history) | 06MY Discovery 3 (ancient history)
23rd Oct 2009 4:12 pm
Disco3newbie
Member Since: 26 Oct 2008
Location: Scottish Borders
Posts: 600
And they've also awarded some artist in Scotland £500K to build a football pitch in a forest that will be used twice....and used to promote the Olympics.......recession what recession
"Forest Pitch - a football pitch created within and constructed from surrounding woodland and visible only from the planes overhead. The pitch will be returned to nature following one international match to become a living relic of the Olympics."Club RLD spare wheel protection
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23rd Oct 2009 4:20 pm
al cope
Member Since: 08 Nov 2005
Location: Oldbury, WM
Posts: 10297
how will it be a relic, once overgrown (in a couple of months), you wont know its been there
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