Weston's SEE Monster: oil rig art project closes for good today
It's part of the '2022 Unboxed' festival of arts - and the rig continues on its decommissioning journey after today
Today - and for the final time - Weston's SEE Monster opens to the public before the retired oil rig continues on its decommissioning journey.
Part of the 'UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK' project, the worlds-first art installation opened back in September to great fanfare at the Tropicana - an event which even involved a drone show, said to commemorate 'the monster's awakening'.
Two months later, and despite extending it by two weeks 'due to popular demand', the temporary installation's time is already up.
It's not the only one, though, as the SEE Monster joins the 9 additional government-backed projects across all four nations of the UK all finishing in November 2022.
With the decommissioned oil rig's time being up - it was only two days ago that organisers marked its end with as much fanfare as it was welcomed.
On Friday night, hundreds of people descended on the Marina Parade to a fireworks extravaganza and special light show, cementing the impact of the oil rig's influence on those across the town - and on people the world over.
To those who have visited in the short time it's been open, the clear message from designers is one thing: legacy.
As the COP27 Climate Conference comes to a close, and the UNBOXED project concludes, it's indeed the legacy of the SEE Monster that organisers seem keen to express, thanks to the impressive rig finding new life through recycling.
In addition to their educational resources, conversations around the structure's legacy now turn to help us all continue the conversation about living more sustainably.
Indeed, a 'vivid reminder of our industrial past - and an amazing symbol of our journey towards a sustainable future', the monster seems to have left a mark on the generation of youngsters who will inevitably be soon taking-up the baton of helping to protect the planet.
With the next stage of the decommissioning process now imminent, we've learnt what'll happen to the structure, and everything on top of it.
All the plants and some of the renewable energy pieces will be placed into Weston itself, with the rest of the metals recycled for future use.
Niccy Hallifax is the project director for Weston's SEE Monster, and said: "It's been amazing - from the moment it came onto the beach, to the opening show, and the education program we've been running since May - it's something you'll never see again, and it's a blueprint for what can be done with these structures as we move forward.
"We've had people from all over the world come to see this - because it's an art installation that's a platform for stories, and everyone's got a story that stems from this impressive piece of architecture.
"Looking back, I now just feel immense pride - it was a real family of people that came together, and invested hundreds of hours into this wonderful project, because it was a world first, and just to see it in its glory is amazing.
"Sunday is a sad day - but this is one project that's taken a little piece of our hearts - especially with the cost of living crisis, and this being free, it's a wonderful thing for the people of Weston and beyond.
"I think the main legacy is that children really have come on-board with this project and seen what we can do with these structures, and have understood why we focussed on sustainability. We need to move away from drilling from the earth, and there's a whole load of young people who've said they're wanting to get involved with things like this, because they can see how science, technology and maths relate to the SEE Monster.
"This industrial theatre project which became an art installation was thought-provoking, and one you could experience from the inside and outside... and that's a very rare thing."
You can read more here: Probe launched into 'Festival of Brexit' - the scheme which installed Weston's SEE Monster