“˜Delay’ to 46m Liffey Leviathan was a tall story
It appears to be a giant misunderstanding. Antony Gormley, the creator of the proposed sculpture of a 46m wire man in the Liffey, claims the project has not been postponed and could begin as early as this summer. Gormley said that the €1.6m set aside for the “Liffey Leviathan” has been ring-fenced by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) to be spent on a landmark art project. He will be meeting with the authority next month to finalise tender documents. “There’s no delay,” he said. “The international art world is watching Dublin and it would be foolish not to go ahead.” It was recently reported that the DDDA had postponed the project because of the cost. In a statement the authority said that, given the economic environment, it would not be proceeding with the development but would instead keep it under review. The DDDA now claims its position was misinterpreted. Gormley said tender documents would be issued by the DDDA in mid-February. The authority has exhibited a “bold and brave act of patronage” by selecting his vision for the Liffey after an international invite-only competition, he believes.
