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The Northerner: The Mona Lisa of Liverpool?


Helen Carter
21 February 2008

Welcome to the Northerner, Guardian Unlimited's digest of the best of
the northern press.

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Superlambanana's sculptor chose a bad time to announce that his
sculpture could leave Liverpool before the end of its capital of
culture year. Superlambanana, to the uninitiated, is a 17ft bright
yellow sculpture of a hybrid lamb/banana which is intended as a
warning of the dangers of genetic engineering. It was originally
sited at the Pier Head in Liverpool, but has moved around the city
for a decade.

Now its Manhattan-based creator, Taro Chiezo, has claimed it was only
ever on loan to the city and should be (horror of horrors) moved to
Manchester - where members of the arts world have expressed interest
in buying it. His agent Francis McEntegart, of Chime Management, says
he has written to Liverpool Culture Company to open discussions about
selling the artwork to secure the sculpture for Manchester.
Liverpool's former mayor, Lady Doreen Jones, said its departure from
the city would cause outrage.

Superlambanana was originally commissioned in May 1998 as part of the
Artranspennine Exhibition. It passed to the Liverpool Achitect Design
Trust once the exhibition finished. When LADT folded, Liverpool city
council became its custodian. The sculpture has since had various
homes in the city, including outside the now-demolished Jones's ship
chandlers JP Lamb on the Strand. Superlambanana is currently outside
Liverpool John Moores University's learning resource centre in
Tithebarn Street.

McEntegart told the Echo: "I have sent a letter to the Culture Company
to say: 'You do know you don't own it?' The Superlambanana has become
a popular and iconic sculpture synonymous with Liverpool. We have
seen how much the people love it and the good feeling it gives to
locals and tourists. To take it out of the city would be like
removing the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. It belongs in the city and on
a wider scale who knows what effect it may have on the local economy
if it were to go. Taro would love it to stay in Liverpool."

The sculpture cost GBP35,000 but it is now thought to be worth almost
GBP1m. It has been vandalised on a number of occasions.

Between June and August this year, dozens of 180cm tall
Superlambananas will be painted, decorated and adorned by artists,
community groups and celebrities. "Go Superlambananas" is taking
place in the city with Some of the little Superlambananas have begun
to appear in the city. They will be auctioned off for charities.

Some cynics have suggested the sell-off idea is a ruse to raise money
during Liverpool's capital of culture year. Fairly inevitably,
Liverpool's Daily Post has launched a Save Superlambanana campaign.
So far, more than 82% of readers who have voted in an online poll
want to save it. Celebrities have been pledging their support,
including Royle Family actor Ricky Tomlinson and comedian Ken Dodd.

__________

A Lincolnshire angler reeled in a particularly rare and alarming
specimen as he fished in the River Witham at North Hykeham. The
"snakehead" fish, which grows up to three feet long and can survive
out of water for up to four days, is usually found in Asia. It has
even been known to attack humans with its sharp, pike-like teeth.

Importing snakeheads is illegal and the Environment Agency suspects
this specimen was dumped by a private owner.

An Environment Agency spokeswoman told the Northern Echo: "We are
quite concerned because this fish can suffer from a fungal disease
known as epizootic ulcerative syndrome. It's a notifiable disease
under new EU law and our fish could have been at risk but there has
never been a recorded case in Europe.

"They are very voracious and can grow quite big. They can also kill
some mammals and have been known to move onto the land."

__________

A second Beatles Story museum is to open on Liverpool's waterfront in
the capital of culture year. What a great and original idea. I am
sure the city needs a new Beatles-themed attraction.

The design of the GBP10.5m centre, which is being built in front of
the Three Graces, has already been criticised. Its forerunner at the
Albert Dock opened in 1990 and attracts 200,000 visitors a year. Not
surprisingly, the Pier Head exhibition will link to the ferry across
the Mersey - even though that song was actually performed by Gerry
Marsden and the Pacemakers. (The new ferry terminal was subject to
fierce criticism by Liverpool council a year ago, with councillors
saying they felt "blackmailed" into backing it so European funding
was not lost.)

The extension promises to take visitors on a magical journey (ho ho)
through the music of the Beatles, complete with motion, smoke and
water. Who knows what this could mean? At any rate, the Albert Dock
building is being extended to take in a gallery dedicated to the band
member's solo careers and an interactive discovery zone.

__________

Until I met Tony Wilson, I thought he was a bit of a joke, chiefly
because of Steve Coogan's portrayal of him in 24 Hour Party People.
But he was nothing like the cartoonish figure in the film. Now
Manchester is planning a tribute to Wilson, who died of cancer last
year. It will be, fairly inevitably, a 24-hour experience.

Rather pompously billed as Manchester's longest-ever intelligent
conversation Wilson would have approved), it will take place in a
marquee between midday on June 21 and midday on June 22. More than
200 talented and creative young people have been invited. Peter Hook
has agreed to take part, as has the designer Peter Saville.

Wilson's son Oli, who works in Los Angeles, said: "It's a great idea.
Tony had a lot of influence on people when he was alive and that
influence should continue down the line. I think Tony would be really
happy with it."

__________

Merseyside Police have an unexpected new lead in the unsolved murder
of a 19-year-old woman in 1970. Lorraine Jacob was last seen alive on
September 1 of that year as she walked alone towards Hardman Street
in Liverpool. Refuse workers found her partially clothed body the
next day. She had been assaulted and strangled.

A gun, an item of clothing and a handwritten note containing details
of the murder were found in a shoebox at the home of a 78-year-old
Wigan man who died earlier this month.

"It's nearly 40 years ago, but obviously people are still alive who
were around at the time who might have some useful information," the
lawyer of Jacobs' family told BBC Merseyside. "The family are very
anxious that whatever somebody knows, that may be of some help,
should be given to police as soon as possible." Harvey Richardson is
thought to have been living in Huskisson Street and working in a
restaurant at the time of the murder.

__________

HELEN CARTER RECOMMENDS: Leaving Facebook. It is a spectacular waste
of time, in my opinion. Call me a Luddite - but if I want to stay in
touch with my friends, then I will either email or phone them.

(Editor's note: Helen may have left Facebook but the Northerner
hasn't. May we pass on a recommendation? The Bradford International
Film Festival ( http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/biff/ ) opens
on February 29.)

__________

CORRECTION: In the Northerner's ceaseless quest for powerful
headlines, we inadvertently shortened Newcastle-under-Lyme to NuT
rather than NuL. The fault was not David Ward's. Apologies.


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