Plans have been submitted to Oxford City Council for a major new public artwork, The Length of a Moment, created by internationally recognised artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg. The sculptural installation is proposed for Canalside Park, part of Oxford North, the city’s emerging flagship innovation district.
Commissioned by Thomas White Oxford, the development company of St John’s College and the master developer for Oxford North, the artwork forms a central element of the district’s cultural programme. It reflects a commitment to thoughtful place-making, creativity and engaging the surrounding community.
Canalside Park is the second of three public parks in the development and covers 2.94 acres. Designed as a relaxed green space, it features native trees, climate-resilient planting, a swale and areas of seating. The park lies between the new homes of Canalside Quarter, the Oxford Canal and Wolvercote, offering an accessible and welcoming landscape for residents, workers and visitors.
The Length of a Moment consists of three bronze sculptures, each more than two metres tall, rising from the park’s wildflower meadow. The design is inspired by Oxford North’s biodiversity and ecology strategy, capturing the hidden movements of a moth as it searches for a flower to feed from, guided by its scent.
Through computer simulations, Ginsberg modelled the delicate trails of floral scent disturbed by wind and the moth’s flight. These invisible shapes have been transformed into cloud-like bronze forms that will sit harmoniously within the meadow, encouraging visitors to reflect on the vital ecological role of moths and the sensory worlds of non-human species.
Fabrication of the sculptures is planned with Pangolin Editions, a Stroud-based foundry known for its work with leading contemporary artists and its strong sustainability principles, including renewable energy use, recycling materials and switching to lower-emission fuels.
The project will also feed into Oxford North’s Engage programme, which connects local communities with art, nature and science. Working with partners including IF Oxford Science & Ideas Festival, Modern Art Oxford, Fusion Arts and Creation Theatre, the programme will run workshops, performances and talks to explore the ideas behind the sculptures.
Dr Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg said: “‘The Length of a Moment’ invites us to imagine how the world is experienced by other species… I hope the sculptures will spark curiosity and empathy, and reflection on our shared environment.”
The proposed installation is expected in 2026, subject to planning approval, and forms part of Oxford North’s wider commitment to delivering significant public art across the district. Its latest artwork, Your planetary assembly by Olafur Eliasson, was recently unveiled in nearby Fallaize Park.
