Great Art for everyone - let's put the first sculpture on Hove Plinth and launch a brilliant seafront site for art!
We are launching Hove Plinth, a beautiful new sculpture plinth on the King's Esplanade in Hove. By exhibiting brilliant modern-day sculpture we aim to inspire, delight and surprise all those who visit Brighton & Hove’s wonderful seafront. Funding for building the Plinth itself is secure. We now need your help to raise funds for the inaugural sculpture.
Constellation - the first sculpture for the Hove Plinth
Constellation by Jonathan Wright has been selected as the first artwork to be displayed on the Hove Plinth. It is a perfect fit for the location, an imaginative celebration of our community which puts Hove in its own solar system. Wright’s design is part mechanical model of the solar system, part film camera and part ship’s compass. The most popular landscapes and iconic images associated with Hove will orbit the system rather than planets. Wright will involve local residents and groups in identifying and selecting the final objects, which will represent historic, present day and future features of Hove. The sculpture will move slightly and cast beautiful shadows on the promenade.
The artist will use innovative 3D printing technology as part of the production. Uniquely, the display will be equipped with internet access and use mobile/digital technology to make viewing the sculptures a fun and interactive experience.
The image shows a small model of Constellation with temporary illustrative icons.
Medium: Stainless steel and gilded polypropylene Size: H2.5meter x W3meter x D3meter
You can help us put the first sculpture on the Hove Plinth
With your help we can soon commission the first sculpture for the Hove Plinth and start the process of creating a major landmark for Hove and a great addition to our community. If we reach our funding target we can cover the cost of producing the full-size sculpture and supporting the community involvement.
“Everyone who loves our seafront should help Hove Plinth become a reality. It will be the platform for some stunning creativity in the years to come and always brilliantly remind people – visitor and resident – that our city has unique and lasting style.” Dick Knight, Lifetime President of Brighton and Hove Albion and Honorary Freeman of Brighton and Hove
The sculptor: Jonathan Wright
Jonathan Wright (BA Hons Fine Art, MA Sculpture RCA) makes sculpture, installations and drawings.
Based in Folkestone he has staged solo and mixed shows in London, across the UK and abroad and commissions for Folkestone Triennial. He is currently working on an installation for Folkestone Triennial 2017.
“The idea for Constellation is to create a work that is part made by the local inhabitants and part made by the location itself. The role of the artist in this project is to provide a basic structure to focus the work as a whole and to guide it to fruition. The work is conceived by the public and engineered by the artist." Jonathan Wright
The project team
Hove Civic Society, a registered charity, is the lead organisation behind the Hove Plinth. We are a registered charity founded in 1960 with the object of stimulating community interest in the beauty, history and character of Hove and its surroundings. We are passionate about improving the local environment and feel strongly that public art has the power to enrich our lives and inspire us to experience our surroundings in new ways.
Our Public Sculpture Project Team all give their time for free and includes professionals with experience in public sculpture, sculpting practice, curating, fundraising, communication and business management. Expert advice on engineering and design is provided by HOP Civil and Structural Engineers and Millimetre Ltd.
We have partner agreements for collaboration with Brighton & Hove City Council and the Royal Pavilion and Museums and received a development grant from Arts Council England in 2015. Our patrons are Sir Timothy Sainsbury and the eminent sculptor Philip Jackson CVO, DL, FRBS.
Team members receiving the Community Star Award for Contribution to Arts and Culture
The story so far
The project was born out of the realisation that although Hove has an impressive array of Victorian monuments, very little public sculpture has been added in the last 100 years. In Victorian times many statues and monuments, were funded by public subscription. Hove Civic Society wanted to revive this tradition by encouraging local residents, visitors and businesses to actively support public display of modern day sculpture, creating not only a sense of ownership and pride in the public realm, but also enhancing Hove as a place where people want to live, work, play and visit.
We have taken inspiration from the recent growth in major sculpture commissions in the UK, in particular the success of the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square and the increasing popularity of sculpture parks such as Yorkshire Sculpture Park and The Cass Foundation.
We have by now
- Built a strong foundation of support with the public, media and arts and heritage organisations in the Brighton and Hove and beyond.
- Signed a licence and partner agreement with the City Council for the prominent seafront site at the bottom of Grand Avenue in Hove.
- Received planning permission for the plinth and sculptures.
- Partnered with the Royal Pavilion and Museums and attracted two high profile patrons.
- Received The Argus Star Award for Contribution to Arts and Culture on the grounds of capturing the imagination of people in the city"
- Selected the first sculptures through a national call to artists, exhibitions of shortlists and public involvement attracting votes from 1500 people.
- Raised all the funding for construction of the plinth, landscaping and technical features through public donations, grants and contributions in kind.
What happens next
The artist will run a series of workshops with a cross section of local residents to identify images and object that people associate with Hove. Our plan is to start construction of Hove Plinth in 2017 and commission Constellation to be ready for installation in early spring 2018.
Constellation will stay on the plinth for approx 18 months and be followed by ‘Flight of the Langoustine’ by Brighton based Pierre Diamantopoulo. Both sculptures were selected from the initial national call to artists and have planning permission.
We will continue the fund-raising for other sculptures and will commission them in time for their allocated slot on the plinth. Once the first sculptures have been produced we intend to invite further proposals for the plinth with an eye to their final location in the city.
A lasting legacy
We want the sculptures to remain in the city once they have been on the plinth and are actively exploring opportunities with Brighton and Hove Council to find permanent locations under a proposal entitled sculptures in the city. The aim is to create a lasting legacy of public art, improving the public realm and adding to the city’s attractions with all its cultural and economic benefits.
More information at www.hoveplinth.org.uk
Hove Civic Society is a registered charity, Reg number 1051091
This project has been approved for funding through the Artists + The Crowd match funding. It has received a bridge of £16,000 towards its fundraising target from Arts Council England.