MORE than 1,300 residents have had their say on the artwork they would like to see sitting on the Hove Plinth.

The two-week exhibition campaign for the public sculpture competition closed on Sunday with a fun-filled day down on Hove seafront.

As part of the open exhibition of the ten finalist designs, events company Artists, Models, iNK staged a Tableaux Vivant interpretation of what could adorn the plinth in years to come - with artists encouraged to draw the display.

The event marked the end of two weeks of exhibitions in Hove and Jubilee libraries where residents were encouraged to pick their favourite three designs.

Hove Civic Society will now consider the public vote when a selection panel interviews the sculptors before announcing a final three at the beginning of July.

Winning sculptors will be awarded £2,500 each to produce a small model of their proposal to promote fundraising for full-scale sculptures, the first of which the society hopes to have on the plinth by spring 2017.

The project, inspired by the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, was launched in February 2012, and has received more than £55,000 in pledges from the public.

The society recently confirmed that Sussex-based sculptor Philip Jackson, who created the recently unveiled Mahatma Gandhi statue in London’s Parliament Square, as artistic patron of the project.

He will join patron and former Hove MP Sir Timothy Sainsbury.

The plinth, which was granted planning permission in 2013, is designed to host regularly-changing artworks.

Lead project manager Karin Janzon said: “Sunday went really well, it was incredible.

“There were a lot of people who had gone walking down the seafront and we had hardly been able to set-up when they started swarming around and asking a lot of questions.

“Our performers were absolutely great, they were posing like sculptures and gave a real feel what it could look like.”

For more information visit hovecivic.org.uk.

OUR POLL

THE Argus has held its own online poll of our readers’ own favourite designs.

Hundreds took part to pick the one they want to see on the plinth. 

Our top three are:

Escape by Matthew Davies – 40%

Flight of the Langoustine by Pierre Diamantopoulo – 16%

Convergence by David Harber – 9%

Camera Man by Roland Stevenson – 9%

The votes are not part of the official competition.