Giant Horse Statue to be Built
Mark Wallinger, winner of the 2007 Turner Prize, has been commissioned to erect the horse, at a scale of 33-1 of life-size. The structure will cost close to $3 million and will be built from cement, with a white glossy finish. The sculpture will dominate the Ebbsfleet Valley in north Kent, a thinly populated area of chalky plains, industrial plants and electrical pylons. Ebbsfleet is also the site of a new Eurostar (the train that traverses the English Channel through the Eurotunnel) rail stop that opened in November 2007. Organizers were unable to confirm if the structure will be completed before the 2012 Olympics.
The white horse on a red field is said to be the symbol of the ancient Saxon kingdom of Kent and the emblem of Kent county council is a white horse today. And to celebrate the millennium, a white horse was carved into the chalk hillside at Folkestone. It is hoped that this carving and the statue soon to be built will remain for thousands of years as a celebration of Kent life and the Kent people.
