£10,000 seafront to Abbey walkway is condemned as a waste of public money
A CONTROVERSIAL £10,000 "carpet" linking up the seafront to Torre Abbey has attracted mixed responses from visitors.
While organisers of the two-day outdoor art concept are adamant it will put Torbay on the world map for the arts, many people said the walkway was a waste of public money.
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White walkway
The white walkway was specially commissioned by Torbay Council to create a visual and interactive link between the sea front and Torre Abbey where Tamed exhibition is now on show, and at the opening Mayor Nick Bye criticised the Herald Express and others who called it a waste of money.
The "carpet" attracted controversy because of its cost and the short length of time it remained in place — two days.
The walkway, designed by the Germany-based 'Office for Subversive Architecture', was inaugurated on Sunday by the 400 VIP guests invited to take a look at Damien Hirst's Mother and Child Divided cow and calf in formaldehyde art piece.
Guests were greeted along the path by a host of items including recordings and 'white-clad guides'.
The project forms part of a council sponsored scheme called Torbay Connected to 'connect people with places and spaces in the Bay'.
Mischa Eligoloff, from Creative Torbay, which helped commission the temporary walkway said despite the few critical comments, the walkway had been welcomed by most visitors.
He said people had been asked to write or draw on the white carpet cutting through the pitch and putt golf course and walk its length to feel connected.
He said: "The criticism is mainly unfair. A lot of people said it was wonderful and created a real link between the seafront and the Abbey.
"The Office for Subversive Architecture flew in from Germany to prepare this installation.
"They will put the work on their website. It will be there with some of the other works they have done around the world.
"People will see it. It will put Torbay on the world map and encourage people to come here."
Some of the comments scribbled along the length of the vinyl carpet by the guests were jokes, others welcomed the idea or enthused about the concept.
Many others were rather critical.
One comment read: "What a waste of public money."
Another said: "The lunatics have taken over Mr Bye! Help us all!" Among the drawn footprints, and profanity cartoons, a one-word comment read: "Rubbish!"
Mayor Nick Bye defended the council's decision to spend £10,000 on the "wacky carpet".
He said: "There has been concern about the cost.
"But we had to do something special to launch Damien Hirst's exhibition. It is wacky. But we had to do something that would get everyone talking. It worked."
28 Comments
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by jeff, torquay
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 1:06PM
“I would like to buy the old carpet which one day may become a work of art ?”
by Becks, Devon
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 12:00PM
“I would like to find out how many needy families in Torbay could have had new carpets for £10,000 ? Why has so much money been spent outside of the bay so much for boosting the local community. Why do I keep seeing Torbay written as Tor Bay is it getting people ready for the name change of "Tor Bye"?”
by malcolm, paignton
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 12:17AM
“Why doesnt Mr Bye do something really wacky and resign.The waste of taxpayers money is in the same league as the rock walk fiasco.Roll on the elections.”
by malc, paignton
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 12:14AM
“Why doesnt Mr Bye do something really wacky and resign.It appears he likes to waste taxpayers money,look at the rock walk fiasco.”
by L. Da Vinci, Expensive white carpet
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 12:14AM
“Most visitors to the Spanish Barn clay sculptures last year stayed less than 30 seconds and walked out. It was different and fresh but the figures that were claimed it brought to the Bay in visitor revenue were quite simply pure invention. No one challenges the figures so they just get accepted. Spin, spin and more spin. The figures that attend this latest cow show will no doubt be creatively massaged to put it across as a huge success.”
by Willie, Torbay
Tuesday, July 06 2010, 7:50PM
“Well said Colin. Anon, paignton that is a disgrace, mind you Bye is a self centered person, see I did not swear although I want to.
How much did the "VIP do"cost? One thing is for sure this pretentious rubbish cost more that the £10,000, that was just for the lot that put on the event, what did it cost in all the freebies and vino to the councillors, Bye, Lewis and the hangers on,. I guess you could put another £5000 on to that. Perhaps they got a loan from Saatchi, mind you he gave Tracy Emin's Bed to the Nation, more c**p and gave someone thousands for a table of poppadoms. Am I living in a real world or the world of Bye Visions.
Sail off in your balloon Bye it was next door to the big door mat.
This is all new, it is not, the red carpet is used all over the world..."the red card" treatment except in Torbay it is the "white carpet sham"
You can buy off cuts in Trago from next week. Or maybe they will be in skip near you.
See no photos on here to prove that hundreds attended the event, was it advertised somewhere, if it was I did not see it. All I have read is of a few that went there and others saying nothing was there today, I believe the others.
Only Alice, Sally and Chloe seem to think it was a uplifting event, I wonder how they dress I can guess it though?”
by anon..., Paignton
Tuesday, July 06 2010, 7:18PM
“and all this was announced and done over the weekend that a number of the LA staff had been told their roles were ceasing to exist, while those who delivered the fateful blow on the roles were on annual leave and the staff affected were told through a letter that was the same for every member of staff affected. But as long as Mayor Nick gets his 5 minutes of fame don't worry about the feelings of your hardworking staff!!”
by Colin, Torbay
Tuesday, July 06 2010, 6:50PM
“Mischa Eligoloff, from Creative Torbay said:
"They will put the work on their website. It will be there with some of the other works they have done around the world.
"People will see it. It will put Torbay on the world map and encourage people to come here."
No it won't, but how much did you earn out of this little exercise I wonder..? Must have been quite a bit to be worth publicly trying to defend the indefensible me thinks.
But yet again again again I say to Torbay Council:
SORT OUT ALL THE DECAY, THE FENCED OFF PUBLIC AREAS, THE GRAFFITI, THE VANDALISM, THE MESS, THE RUST AND THE FILTH!!!!
Then, and only then, can you justifiably even beginning to think about pretentious claptrap like this.
Let's be honest, the state the place is currently in, it isn't worth putting it "on the world map" even if the spin doctors selling you this stuff were to be believed.
Priorities, that's all we ask of you Torbay Council, priorities.”
by Baggins, Torbay
Tuesday, July 06 2010, 6:46PM
“The detractors on here seem not to understand the concept:
"a cross cutting project that aims to promote and develop a system of natural legibility and place enhancement through promoting the role of creativity and culture within the main routes and developments in the Bay".
Such concepts come at a (high) price - apparently.
.”
by Richard, Paignton
Tuesday, July 06 2010, 5:39PM
“Well I drove past the carpet on Monday, didn't see many people on or around it. Looked like a load of crap to me. I'm so angry that I've just paid £182 Council Tax and they obviously didn't even need it if they waste it on this garbage.”