A new piece of public artwork is to boost the historic City of Derry's international architectural and artistic image.

Northern Ireland Arts Minister Gregory Campbell has backed the development and has announced the iconic winner of the Foyle Public Art Project which takes the innovative scheme forward.

He explained that the North West Cultural Challenge Fund awarded £800,000 to the Foyle Public Art Project last year to host a competition to find an artist to develop a piece of contemporary public artwork at Ebrington to mark the regeneration of the city.

"The winning design, 'Mute Meadow', by Vong Phaophanit and Claire Oboussier is truly inspirational.

"Architecture and public art makes it unique and helps it to stand out from other international cities.

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"This piece of art work will certainly do that as it will be visible from the old walled city across the river and in turn, the site of the work itself offers prime views over the river to the walled city opposite," he said, noting that public art is playing an increasingly important role in urban regeneration.

Professor Declan McGonagle, Director of the National College of Art and Design Dublin commented: "The Foyle Public Art project represents an exciting response by artists to the rich historical environment of the City of Derry.

"The selected proposal touches on the issues of identity, history and the riverscape on which the city stands.

"It connects Derry to the range of European cities which have rich heritages and have also developed public art projects as a way of negotiating the future.

"This project is part of a process of regeneration and re-thinking the city's identity through arts initiatives and is a major contribution to this total process," explained the professor.

Back in 2005, a £4 million Challenge Fund for the arts and cultural sector in the North West was announced as part of the Ilex regeneration Plan for City Council area in Londonderry.

The Fund consisted of £3million Integrated Development fund money, provided by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, and £1 million arts capital from the Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure.

(BMcC/JM)