Visual Arts

It's the idea of the curator Andrea Schlieker, co-curator of the British Art Show 2005/06. Asked to organise a major art event that would put Folkestone firmly on the cultural map, Andrea invited 23 internationally acclaimed contemporary artists to create new works for the first Folkestone Triennial, Tales of Time and Space, which will run from 14 June – 14 September 2008. Much of the work will remain in the town permanently. The word "Triennial" means "every three years", which means in 2011 another series of work will be commmisioned, and that eventually Folkestone is regarded as a leading centre for high quality contemporary art.

Each of the works have been specially commissioned for public spaces throughout the town, and although it was not part of their brief, every artist decided to pay several visits and create work that in some way reflected Folkestone and its people.

Tracey Emin has cast bronze baby clothes

So what can you see?

The installation which is causing the biggest stir is also one of the smallest. Margate-born Tracey Emin has cast several baby clothes in bronze, and scattered them around the town, to reflect the large number of teenage pregnancies in seaside towns. The pieces are painted realistically and look like they may have fallen from a passing pram. It's only when you get up close you realise they are not made from wool.

The current Turner Prize winner Mark Wallinger has individually numbered over 19,000 pebbles to signify the loss of life by Allied soldiers on just the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

On a similar theme, French artist Christian Boltanski has asked local people to record letters written by First World War soldiers from the Front. When passers by sit on certain benches on the Leas, the recorded letters play.

Polish artist Robert Kusmirowski has created a wooden fisherman's shack in Folkestone Harbour, only visible at low tide.

There's a mobile science fiction library inside a home-made wooden house truck, street performances with local actors, choreographed by Turner Prize winning conceptual artist Jeremy Deller, film, photography......and lots more but we don't want to give it all away here!

Maps can be collected from the Visitor Centre in Tontine Street, showing suggested routes to see the works. Although some will move to a different location every day, so you never know what you may come across!

What will the local gulls think of this visitor?

Why Folkestone?

Folkestone is currently undergoing a huge creativity and arts-led regeneration, being driven by the Creative Foundation, an organisation chaired by leading UK philanthropist Roger De Haan, former chairman of Saga. The Triennial is a showpiece for the regeneration, designed to attract over 100,000 visitors to the town over the three month period, and the ame again every three years.

Other elements of the regeneration programme include a masterplan for the redevelopment of the harbour and seafront, a new performing arts centre and a Creative Quarter with over 100 artists already established in a growing number of refurbished studio, living and retail spaces. A new high-speed rail link from London St Pancras International will open in 2009, and a new Academy and university campus both opened to students last year.

Folkestone's future seems very bright indeed.