A sculpture of an eight-legged headless horse by Austin Camilleri will be installed on a site overlooking the pristine Gozo coastline after the Planning Authority gave its approval on Tuesday.  

The sculpture is set to be located along the cliffs of Xwejni, a Natura 2000 site and an Outside Development Zone area. 

But the bronze installation can be removed without impacting the area and will require no other supporting infrastructure for people to visit the sculpture, the project's architect Andrew Sultana said.  

“People who want to visit the site can make use of an already existing road and will leave no impact,” he said.  

On Tuesday, the Planning Authority’s commission for Outside Development Zone and Urban Conservation Areas approved PA/06093/22. 

The Gozo Ministry applied for the permit after a public call for works of art. The sculpture, named WIEĦED, was one of four winning entries selected by a jury.

Before approving the permit, the PA set a condition that “if a future decision is taken to remove the approved public sculpture from the said location the site is to be immediately reinstated in its original state at the applicant's expense”.

They also set a €5,000 bank guarantee for works to follow the Installation Method Statement.  

The Environmental Resources Authority and Superintendence of Cultural Heritage both objected to the application primarily because it is located within a Natura 2000 site and is designated a special conservation area and special protection area. 

Nicholas Barbara, on behalf of BirdLife Malta, also objected to the project.  

He said he appreciated that no artificial lighting would be installed but argued that the installation of an artwork in a Natura 2000 site might create a precedent for other sculptures to be installed in other pristine sites in the future.  

He also asked for further clarifications as to why the Xwejni site was chosen. 

Sultana argued that the sculpture was designed from conception to be in a rural setting.  

He said the site was chosen because it could be installed without any other formalisation of the surrounding area.  

Other sites would have required footpaths, he said. 

Art and nature are not antagonists

Artist Austin Camilleri said the sculpture was tweaked to reflect the cave structure underneath the cliff face.  

“Art and nature are not antagonists, throughout the history of art they are intertwined,” he said.  

The commission said future permits for ODZ art installations would be decided on their own merit, not on the decision taken on Tuesday.  

One member of the public, photographer Daniel Cilia, declared his position in favour of the installation. 

“I am usually here to complain, but despite this being in ODZ, the project makes Gozo more beautiful, and we should do it,” he said.  

If it proves to be unpopular it can be removed without issue. 

He mentioned the statue of Jesus Christ, on Tas-Salvatur Hill, also called tal-Merżuq hill in Marsalforn as an example of how art can complement nature.  

“No one dreams of removing it now, and we use it when promoting Gozo for tourists.”