Spitalfields gets its goat after public vote

A brand new statue chosen by public vote has been unveiled in Spitalfields.

I Goat, the winning design of the Spitalfields Sculpture Prize 2010 was officially unveiled at midday yesterday in Bishops Square, Spitalfields, one of London’s most high profile public spaces.

I Goat was created by Scottish sculptor Kenny Hunter (pictured), who beat seven other shortlisted designs to get the £45,000 commission last year, winning the votes of both the prize judges and the public.

The 3.5 metre high sculpture of a flawless white goat was installed earlier yesterday morning and will be seen by more than 70,000 people a week.

Sculptor Kenny Hunter with the I Goat

The hand-sculpted goat stands proudly atop a stack of packing crates, which was inspired by Spitalfields’ rich, ongoing social history. It is said to stand as a symbol for the various waves of migration that have found sanctuary in Spitalfields over the decades and helped to shape the East End. It is also an image of persecution and sacrifice, reflecting how each group of immigrants has faced their own combination of conflict, oppression and poverty.

The judges said that it was a hard task picking an overall winner, but “after long deliberations we were delighted to award the prize to Kenny Hunter’s I Goat.”

The statue is now a permanent part of the Spitalfields Public Art Collection and will be the first artwork in a proposed sculpture park within the site. More winning sculptures of 2010 and beyond will join in the future.

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