"Cardigan has been fortunate to be one of the sites selected, out of the 1500 communities which applied, for Channel 4's Big Art Project.
As a result it will be participating in a televised ground-breaking documentary featuring the transformation of its Quay-side area into a stunning and imaginative public space.
The other UK successful sites include Belfast, Burnley in Lancashire, Sheffield, St Helen's on Merseyside, Isle of Mull, Scotland and Newham, East London.
The Big Art Project is a unique initiative that combines the creation of a limited number of landmark new public artworks across the UK with direct community involvement, as part of a major Channel 4 TV series being filmed by Carbon Media.
The people of Cardigan have chosen the world-renowned Montreal-based Mexican artist as the man to deliver their artistic dreams. Rafael Lozano-Hemmer has visited Cardigan on a number of occasions to see the site located alongside the River Teifi.
The name Rafael has given to his Cardigan project is 'Turbulence' which is an interactive installation consisting of a cluster of buoys illuminated by the voices of passers-by.
The hundred and twenty seven buoys float in the centre of the river Teifi and contain a loudspeaker, LED light source and a sensor that detects movement in the water.
Big Art will tell the world that Cardigan's on the map. With Rafael's input, we want to create something here which is dramatic and which will catch people's imagination. We're quite prepared to be controversial and argumentative if necessary. We want to make a big statement.
Art can play a significant role in an area's regeneration and future prosperity and the steering group is looking forward to working with Rafael to produce a work of art worthy of its locality, for the benefit of Cardigan and Wales as a whole.
Public meetings have recently been held around Cardigan to address a number of issues relating to the proposed design and location of the project. There will be further meetings held in the near future.
These sessions allow members of the public the opportunity to have their input into the project and I'd like to encourage anyone who wants to make their views heard to come along to meet Rafael and the Big Arts Project steering group and join in the discussions.
It will be a great opportunity to play a part in this Big Art Project."
Article by Jim Evans
More about the Teifi Estuary project...
your comments
Dean George
This is not going ahead anymore because the people of Cardigan have spoken! I don't understand why the local newspaper and town's mayor have sided with the minority of people actually living in Cardigan who wanted this to go ahead at all. Hopefully now the people in charge of making these decisions will understand that money could be better spent improving the town in different and more productive ways. Perhaps in future they could consult the residents of Cardigan sooner.
Thu Mar 25 17:26:36 2010
Matt Tapping, Bangor
I traveled and spent good 'tourist' money in Liverpool and Crosby as a direct result of 'Another Place' where 100 cast iron figures face out to sea on Crosby Beach, near Liverpool. There is some fantastic modern art being made and we should be exporing it. Host cities should cash in. I'm sure there are more open minded places that would appreciate the cultural diversity, creativity and money.
Tue Mar 23 16:29:48 2010
Sarah in Aberystwyth.
The very fact that people are disagreeing with what seems to me like a really awesome piece of art (that looks visually stunning too - check out the official project website) just shows the level of backwardness we have in this area. It is so sad and such a shame that people waste their time and energy objecting to something that could attract a great deal of intellectual visitors and that is so darn right interesting. It has the potential to create an amazing aesthetic site and I really don't see what the problem is. It's typical of this area to have people with the attitude "not in my back yard". One word - Pathetic! Let the art project take place, it won't do any harm to the environment and will ignite interest and diversity in a town lacking in it by all accounts.
Wed Jan 20 11:23:17 2010
Iona from newport
i think the idea is amazing but i dont think it should be placed in the river. i think we should keep things as natural as we can, especially with more and more people having strong views on the enviroment!
Thu May 14 09:48:59 2009
Pete Jones from Cardigan
This is not a green project as suggested by Jim Evans, nor does it encuorage local art.At over £600,000 for five years in the river it's robbery.A 60ft vessel full plastic balls..........
Thu Apr 9 12:11:21 2009
Les Finch from Beulah
Latest information is that it is not likely to go ahead.What a waste of money in the present financial climate if it were to go ahead. It served nobody except the ego of those planning it.
Fri Jan 30 09:32:07 2009
Nick Lloyd Llanfair Caereinion
I am minded of another thing in the river a few years ago (Sunderland) Alison Wilding? Great looking model but problems with rubbish and vandalism led to a sorry end - oh and plastic not so good (Forward in Birmingham by Raymond Mason sadly got burnt away) time for a rethink perhaps?
Wed Dec 17 12:42:26 2008
nia smart from cardigan
i think it is a good thing that the project is coming to cardigan and will bring people to cardigan
Sun Dec 14 18:37:03 2008
Peter Rea, Southampton
This project is all very well and an imaginative idea until one begins to consider the implications of it in other directions. The river is an area rich in its wildlife diversity, lucky to have otters, porpoises, dolphins, salmon and kingfishers amongst many species. What will be the effect of the light pollution and noise on their environment and do the art establishment who are planning this scheme even care? The essence of this so called work of art is that apart from the interactive light effects, the sound of human voices will be recorded and played back later, responding to tidal movements. Has it been c! onsidered that the local yobs will rejoice in the novelty of recording their most obscene utterances and that they will then be played back much later when families with young children might be present? Speaking of the local yobs, I'm sure that they will also have a great object for target practice too. How long before this piece of art ceases to function because of vandalism, making it a total waste of money? From the point of view of local democracy, the opinions of the local population have so far been largely ignored. Public meetings of just 100 individuals are deemed to give the artist a mandate to proceed, whereas a local petition containing the signatures of over 2000 local objectors is arrogantly dismissed.
Thu Nov 13 11:17:17 2008
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