Hove Plinth inauguration

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Following five years of planning and fundraising, the Hove Plinth and its first sculpture, Constellation, was officially inaugurated on Saturday 21st April by the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Councillor Mo Marsh, on Hove’s historic seafront.

Hove Civic Society

Hove Plinth, which is inspired by the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, London, is the result of a fantastic community effort by Hove Civic Society, made possible by a huge amount of voluntary work and contributions from local residents, businesses and grant funders. Spearheading a new era of public sculpture in the city of Brighton & Hove, the Hove Plinth will host a new sculpture every 12-18 months.

Past and present of Hove

The first sculpture has been unveiled as Constellation by Jonathan Wright. In celebration of Hove, the sculpture features gilded icons representing past and present of this part of the city, set in a huge orrery structure. Seafront promenaders will literally be looking up at the stars of Hove’s own solar system. The icons were proposed by local residents through a series of workshops run by the artist.

Produced by modern technology

The plinth and the sculpture are at the forefront of modern technology. The plinth is set up with a ‘call me’ button for mobile phones and the icons were created with 3D scanning and 3D printing technology, even including a live scan of a local skateboarder.

Karin Janzon, Project Director said: “We are thrilled to see the Hove Plinth come to life and become a permanent part of the iconic seafront. Some people thought we were mad to attempt it, but a little madness can go a long way. It’s the end of a long journey and the beginning of much more public art to come to our wonderful city by the sea.”