3:00pm Friday 22nd January 2010
Several lorries, gallons of chemicals and a team of engineers have been used to bring a mythical creature to Sussex.
The magical unicorn will be unveiled to the public at the new Towner gallery in Eastbourne tomorrow (SAT).
The spectacle, which is a sculpture of a foal with a golden horn in a tank of formaldehyde, is the creation of controversial artist Damien Hirst and will be the highlight of an exhibition of artwork inspired by folklore and mythology.
Hirst's sculpture, called The Child's Dream, is the first piece of the artist's work to be exhibited at the £8.5million gallery, in Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, which was opened last April.
A museum spokeswoman said a herculean effort had been required to bring the mythical beast to Sussex.
The tank and animal carcass were transported separately, then reassembled and filled with formaldehyde to preserve it once inside the Eastbourne gallery.
A spokeswoman said: “It is fantastic for us to have as our first paying exhibition something so special.
“There is no way would could have done something like this at the old Towner.”
She added that the tank will be sealed when the exhibition opens but formaldehyde fumes had created health and safety concerns for workers.
The Child's Dream was first shown in the UK when it was included in an exhibition at the Tate, St Ives, in the autumn.
Another work from Hirst's unicorn series was sold for £2.3million in 2008.
The museum was yesterday packed with curators, engineers, and artists putting the finishing touches to the exhibition, called the Dark Monarch: Magic and Modernity in British Art.
As well as the unicorn, the collection features works by Graham Sutherland, Paul Nash and Barbara Hepworth, all with a theme of magic and folklore.
The unicorn and other works will be launched at an official opening tonight(FRI) then go on display to the public from tomorrow until March 21.
BLOB: See this week's edition of The Guide for an interview with The Dark Monarch's co-curator Alun Rowlands, and more about the ideas behind the Towner Gallery's first paying exhibition.
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