Giant horse as high as Statue of Liberty to be south's answer to Angel of the North

[Ck]

A giant white horse as tall as the Statue of Liberty is to become southern England's answer to the Angel of the North it has been announced.

A massive 164ft white horse has been given to nod to become Britain's largest public art installation Photo: MARK WALLINGER

The 164ft high (50m) sculpture will dominate the landscape around Ebbsfleet, between Dartford and Gravesend in Kent.

It has been created by Mark Wallinger, who once dressed up in a furry bear suit and wandered around a Berlin gallery in the name of art.

The Ebbsfleet Landmark, as it is officially known, is intended to put the area on the map as it gets its own international station on the new high-speed Eurostar line between London St Pancras and Paris.

Some 10,000 new homes are also planned for Ebbsfleet Valley, situated in one of the poorer parts of Kent.

Around 60 million people will see the horse every year, which will stand by the busy A2.

The private funders of the £2 million horse have lauded it as a "stunning concept" and it has gone down well with the local residents. It was their favourite during an exhibition of the contenders at nearby Bluewater shopping centre.

Michael Snelling, leader of Gravesham Borough Council, said: "I'm delighted they chose the horse because that decision keeps faith with public opinion. I think they have made exactly the right decision.

"We need something like this to identify the area, which isn't very well known."

Kent County Council had lobbied Wallinger to change his design to that of a prancing horse, which would have mirrored the county's Invicta symbol.

Mr Snelling said the winning design of a horse on all-fours was "the next best thing".

But it has been dismissed as a mere "logo" by an influential art critic.

David Lee, editor of the arts newspaper The Jackdaw, said: "It's not a sculpture and it's not going to win any art prizes. It's intended as a logo by the housing developers."

Local authorities have been keen to embrace large works of public art ever since Antony Gormley's Angel of the North was completed in 1998. It has been credited for bringing a new sense of optimism to the north east.

But Mr Lee said councils should stop convincing themselves such art could regenerate areas.

He said: "There's no proven relationship between a work of public art and regeneration, but all these people keep claiming there is. I read some rubbish about this 'putting Ebbsfleet on the map'. Why? Couldn't you just look at an OS map?"

More than twice the height of Gormley's 66ft high Angel, the white horse will be Britain's biggest single piece of art.

Wallinger's latest project seems at odds with some of his work to date.

The 49-year-old artist won the Turner Prize in 2007 for recreating the anti-war protest that peace campaigner Brain Haw erected outside Parliament.

But he is perhaps best known for the Christ-like figure that he created for Trafalgar Square's empty Fourth Plinth in 1999.

However, Wallinger is known to be a fan of horses. He came to prominence for a series of paintings of racehorses and made a work called Ghost, based on the famous horse painting Whistlejacket by Stubbs.

Wallinger said: "This is a tremendously exciting project. There was some very tough competition and I am honoured that the horse has won through."

His horse beat four other submissions, which included a structure of interconnecting polyhedrons by Richard Deacon and a stack of cubes with a laser beam passing through them by Frenchman Daniel Buren.

The sculpture is being financed by London and Continental Railways - which built the new high-speed rail link – Eurostar, and developer Land Securities.

Stephen Jordan, chair of the Ebbsfleet Landmark Project Board said: "All involved are committed to design excellence and Mark's stunning concept reflects that aim."

The next step is to get planning permission from Gravesham Borough Council. Building work is not expected to begin for at least a year.

What should the horse statue be called?

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[Ben]

I'd call it Bostik.

[Ck]

I've emailed my suggestion

[Alpha]

The Horse of The South.

[anancientrace]

It has part of a bridle on it the mock up? Is that part of the eventual design?

And security for a white monolith? To avoid it being Hobdayed?

Heigh Ho, Silver and away! To the Loan Arrangers! Let's get this thing built, Kemo Sabe!

OK, Tonto (or is that Tontine and all?)

[Ck]

It's going to be called Noddy

[timey]

Another piece of tat then.

[KatieJordanPricePHD]

I can't say I'm keen on the horse. Looks like it should be on Nanna's mantlepiece. I like the angel of the north, however.

[bigdog]

I can't say I'm keen on the horse. Looks like it should be on Nanna's mantlepiece. I like the angel of the north, however.

I dont but then I dont like anything in the North including the inhabitants.They all talk with funny accents

[syl1]

I hope it fares better than our ill fated B of the Bang sculpture.