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Rhymney’s damaged Twisted Chimney is the most expensive piece of public art installed in the borough over the last 15 years, Caerphilly Observer can reveal.

The sculpture was completed in 2010 by New York sculptor Brian Tolle in 2010 and cost £180,000.

It was damaged by bad weather in early 2023 and has been in disrepair ever since. 

To understand how the cost of the sculpture compared to other artworks in the borough, Caerphilly Observer submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Caerphilly County Borough Council.

We can now reveal that the Twisted Chimney is the most expensive of all 32 pieces of public art installed across Caerphilly County Borough since 2008. 

It was installed by the council with funding from the Welsh Government.

What is the story so far?

Back in March 2023, Caerphilly Observer reported on the damage to the Twisted Chimney. 

The sculpture saw some of its structure come away and showed residents that the chimney, which to the naked eye appeared to be made out of red bricks, was not.

It is instead carved in polycarbonate, coated in a waterproof covering and then hand-painted.

Such materials are “specialist” and “would still need to be looked after”, according to an artist who works in sculpture at Cardiff Metropolitan University. 

In May, Caerphilly Observer revealed that the structure had not been inspected since October 2020 before its damage, after submitting a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Caerphilly County Borough Council.

It had been inspected just eight times as part of a wider public artwork inspection regime, which was undertaken across the borough by the council’s building control team. 

Then in December, we reported that just £64.50 had been spent on the sculpture since it was damaged and that there was still no timeline for overall repair. 

At the time, a spokesperson for Caerphilly County Borough Council said: “Temporary steps have been taken to make the structure safe, while we explore longer-term options for the sculpture.

“A key part of this process will be engaging the local community and seeking their views on these options.”

What did other artworks cost?

The total cost of public artwork installed across the borough since 2008 is £1,079,720.23. 

There is a £60,000 difference between the cost of the Twisted Chimney and the next most expensive art piece on the list, the Miners Statue in Senghenydd.

The bronze statue located in the Welsh National Mining Memorial Garden cost £120,000.

The least expensive piece of artwork was a mural painted onto the Toilet Block in Risca Park in 2014 at a cost of £2,000.

Bargoed has had six pieces of art installed since 2008 - the highest number in the borough.