The public is now invited to board The See Monster, a former offshore oil rig in the North Sea that has been converted into an artwork. The public will be able to visit See Monster starting on Saturday at the Tropicana, a multi-use indoor and outdoor event area on the coast in Weston-super-Mare.
One of the biggest public art works in the nation, it intends to spark discussions on recycling, alternative energy sources, and British weather.
The project was commissioned as a part of Unboxed: Creativity in the UK, a festival that runs through November and showcases future ideas and prospects imagined by creatives from the fields of science, technology, engineering, and the arts in both physical and virtual places.
The 35-meter-tall See Monster has four levels that are open to the general public. A multi-level slide provides an alternative route through the 6,000-piece kinetic installation, which is animated by a 10-meter-high waterfall.
The wind hypnotically propels two Ivan Black kinetic sculptures into motion. The sculptures, which depict the sun and moon, are made of aluminum and engineered to withstand the elements. They are made to move in a graceful yet chaotic way constantly.
After seeing See Monster’s metamorphosis over the previous few months, we are delighted that the public can now board, adds O’Mahony.
We hope that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which began as a test of creativity and education in Weston-super-Mare, will have a much greater and lasting legacy.