THE light went up on a bold $300,000 sculpture at Sandy Bay last night after a seven-year saga.
The 10m-tall stainless steel Beacon, by Sydney sculptor Ari Purhonen, was unveiled by Lord Mayor Damon Thomas yesterday afternoon at the end of the Long Beach promenade near Prosser's Restaurant.
Also present was Alderman John Freeman, who was Lord Mayor when the project began and copped a lot of criticism for it.
Alderman Thomas was not on the council at the time but was pleased to finally unveil the work.
"I think it is magnificent," he said.
"It is such a valuable addition to our cultural landscape.
"This is a major piece of art by a significant Australian sculptor and it is in a beautiful spot.
"Through commissioning of this major work, the City of Hobart has made a very conscious decision to say that public art is highly valued in Hobart."
The light illuminating the interior of the work was designed to produce a lantern-like appearance at night.
People will be able to see glowing from across the River Derwent.
Purhonen said in the daylight, the shiny steel rods created a different effect.
"Optical illusions of striated patterns resulting from walking past the artwork on the promenade and a mirage-like shimmer when seen from afar are akin to shifting patterns in sand and ripples in water produced by the breeze," he said.
The council approved funding for a significant sculpture in April 2006 and Purhonen won the commission seven months later.
But the original plan to place it at the far end of the promenade on Blinking Billy Point was abandoned after a public outcry.
Opponents presented a petition to the council in August 2008 bearing 1200 signatures and some residents compared the work to a sewerage vent.
Four members of the council's Public Art Special Committee, including Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery director Bill Bleathman and Professor Noel Frankham, head of the UTAS School of Art, felt compelled to issue a statement defending the work, saying it was elegant, simple and designed to remind viewers of the history of Blinking Billy Point and its lighthouse, as well as Aboriginal campfires in the area.
Ald Thomas said Tasmanian Stephen Walker's Tidal Pools sculpture was likely to be installed at the Blinking Billy Point site.
Tidal Pools was at Mawson Place in the city for 12 years but was moved earlier this year to make way for a skating rink.
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