Western Daily Press (Saturday)
First look at towering oil rig artwork set for town
THE first glimpse of a huge decommissioned offshore oil platform set to be installed in Weston-super-Mare this summer has been revealed.
The retired structure, known as See Monster, is to be transformed into a giant art installation with its own garden and waterfall – with members of the public able to walk round and explore the impressive machine.
The art installation is expected to attract more than 200,000 visitors this summer, and is part of Unboxed: Creativity in the UK – a free, national collection of ten large-scale public art engagement projects designed to showcase the UK’s creativity and innovation to the world.
Construction of the platform is expected to commence at the former Tropicana lido in the spring, with completion anticipated ahead of the summer months.
In total, the structure will be open for around two months during the school summer holidays.
A spokesman for Unboxed said: “Hulking in weight and towering in height, our monster has spent much of its life in the cold North Sea, battling the wind and waves in a hostile offshore environment
“See Monster will harness renewable energy from the natural elements of Weston-super-Mare, stimulating conversations about how the great British weather can help guide our national journey to a more sustainable future.”
Along with the waterfalls and gardens, the installation will feature places to meet and be a fun and educational place that will focus on weather, climate change and green technologies.
It will also have a dedicated outreach team with a science, technology, engineering, arts and maths focus.
Weston-super-Mare was selected ahead of a host of other towns and cit
See Monster will harness renewable energy from the natural elements of Weston-super-Mare UNBOXED SPOKESMAN
ies for the flagship project, with Aberdeen, Dover and Swansea some of the other locations hosting different exhibitions.
A number of public meetings have also been held to help locals consider the legacy of the structure, with many council members and residents left disappointed with the lasting effects of Banksy’s Dismaland, a pop-up show by the secretive artist at the Tropicana site in 2015.
Ideas spanning from yoga and gigs to having a writer-in-residence or a zip wire coming off See Monster have all been put forward by the community.