High art ... Christopher Le Brun's disc and wing design for the Ebbsfield Landmark
The south's - all right, north Kent's - ambition to get an Angel of the North of its very own came a step closer today, when maquettes of five proposals for the Ebbsfleet Landmark (I know, boring title) were unveiled to the press. You can see our gallery of the shortlisted designs here.
The shortlist of artists vying for the commission is undeniably impressive, including no fewer than three Turner prize winners, one of them last year's victor, Mark Wallinger. But designing something on this immense scale must be a headache even for them, especially as Ebbsfleet commissioners are somewhat anxious about size. The finished Landmark, as posters for the project made abundantly plain, will be taller than the figure of Christ the Redeemer in Rio and roughly level with Nelson's Column. Oh, and it'll be twice as tall as the Angel itself. Of course.
Adrian Searle had a sneak preview yesterday, but, as ever, we'd be interested to hear your first thoughts too. Can public art change an unloved (some would say unlovely) corner of Kent, or is this just an outsized fuss about nothing? Do you even like any of the ideas? Or should the Ebbsfleet team simply 'fess up and plonk a massive white elephant next to the A2 instead?
