Increasing costs to fix 'Mute Meadow' art installation

The ongoing failure of Derry’s ‘Mute Meadow’ art installation to operate as envisaged by its creators has been discussed by Council’s Business and Culture committee. 

Co-created by international artists Vong Phaophanit and Claire Oboussier, ‘Mute Meadow’ is situated on the south side of Ebrington Square on the banks of the River Foyle. 

The piece cost £800k and was unveiled on June 15, 2011. It comprises 40 upright metal poles, which are supposed to light up in different colours at night. These are supposed to be accompanied by sounds recorded from the city - conversation, poetry, noise and music.

Cllr Rory Farrell (SDLP) raised the ‘Mute Meadow’ issue during discussion of the Business and Culture Directorate Annual Service Delivery Plan 2025/26. 

Noting the absence for the installation from the plan, he said he had repeatedly raised the matter in the chamber.

“The feedback I received was that the budget was in place and we were awaiting project management resource to finally make ‘Mute Meadow’ operational. So, I have a question: ‘Is anything going to be done this year about it?’” said Cllr Farrell. 

Responding to Cllr Farrell, Council’s director of business and culture confirmed a budget had been set aside to do the works.

He added: “We got the project management resource and we went out for those works. Unfortunately, like a lot of things in the current climate, it came back higher than what we had set aside as a contingency, so we are in discussions with TEO (The Executive Office) because aspects of ‘Mute Meadow’ also sit, still, within the confines of Ebrington. There is also so much [outside Ebrington] so it’s trying to split those out. 

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“There are also works we need to do to make it less prone to breaking down in the future. That has enhanced what the capital team would like to do and meant the budget wasn’t sufficient. 

“So there is a deficit in the budget. There are two aspects of what we can do. We can either do so much with what we have or we can fix it properly and that requires additional resource set to it. That is a decision members would have to take in the round with all the other capital projects that we have on the table. 

“It has been scoped out. We have it priced and that is going to the Capital Working Group because we have been working with those officers and pulling all this information together for members to be able to make decisions. ‘Mute meadow will come to the Governance and Strategic Planning committee for a decision,” said the director.

He added: “ It is not a fortune of money but it just has to be a decision in the round with all the other capital projects that we have on the slips.”