Hove Civic Society (24th May 2017)
Hove Civic Society has planning permission to install a stone plinth on the King’s Esplanade at the foot of Grand Avenue. The plinth will be used for changing displays of sculpture, inspired by the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. It will have technological capabilities to make viewing the sculptures an interactive experience.
The sculpture ‘Constellation’ was chosen from a national competition. It is a celebration of Hove, showing off its iconic features. The design is based on an Orrery, a mechanical model of the solar system in which elements representing planets are replaced with historic, present day and future features of Hove. The work also incorporates elements of a ship’s compass and a film camera lens, and its main structure will rest on a gimbal that allows it to move slightly, responding to environmental conditions.
The icons representing Hove will be approximately 50cm high and produced using various techniques including 3D printing and gilding. Overall, the piece will measure approximately two and a half metres in height and three meters across, casting beautiful shadows on the promenade.
The artist will involve local residents and groups in identifying the final set of icons for the sculpture.
Hove Civic Society has secured the funding for the plinth through grants and public donations. Work to install the plinth can start as soon as the funding target for the first sculpture has been reached. We have launched a crowd funding campaign with a target of £40,000 to meet the cost of the inaugural sculpture for Hove Plinth, ‘Constellation’ by Jonathan Wright.
Arts Council England has pledged £16,000 towards the campaign through the Artists + Crowd match funding scheme. The Arts Council contribution will be released once Hove Civic Society have raised the additional £24,000 to meet the funding target.
The campaign was launched on the 4th May and will run until 22 June 2017. It has already received over £10,000 in pledges from the public, in addition to the Arts Council’s pledge, and is now more than two thirds on the way to meet its target.
Karin Janzon, Project Director says:
“This is a fantastic opportunity. The match funding from Arts Council England means that each individual donation is almost doubled. We are inviting everyone to be part of this and welcome all contributions, big and small. Help us put the first sculpture on Hove Plinth and launch a stunning seafront site for art in Hove. We have already secured the resources for the plinth itself, so if we succeed with this campaign then we can start building the plinth and commission the sculpture Constellation straight away.“
Further details regarding the Hove Plinth project can be found at www.hoveplinth.org.uk
The crowdfunder campaign is at http://crowdfunder.co.uk/constellation
Update: On 22nd Jun 2017 we successfully raised £40,445 of £40,000 target with 79 supporters in 49 days