A NEW art installation is making its way around County Durham as a council adopts a new approach to exhibiting art.

Ps in a Pod, created by artist Louise Plant, features three cast iron sculptures, which are arranged differently depending on their surroundings.

It started its journey at Noses Point, in Seaham, with a special launch, before it moves on to Wharton Park, in Durham, Bishop Auckland Market Place and finally Hamsterley Forest in April 2018.

Durham County Council has commissioned Ms Plant to create the work as part its new approach to the visual arts, which sees works being sited in community locations rather than being displayed in conventional gallery spaces.

The council's visual arts manager, Lucy Jenkins, said: “Placing artworks outdoors and within our communities will not only make them more accessible to the public, it also enables us to look at them in a different way.

“The four locations we have chosen for Ps in a Pod will allow us to showcase it in very different environments – the coast, the forest, the town and the city.

"At Noses Point, for example, we are able to take advantage of the reclaimed coastline, which will provide a stunning backdrop for the piece.

“The idea is that different surroundings give the work a different appearance, which in turn makes us respond to it in a different way. This piece would simply not have the same impact if it were on display in a gallery.”

The artwork will officially open to the public on Saturday, June 3, with a free family event taking place at Noses Point between 11am and 3pm.