Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg makes a moth's hidden world visible in major new public artwork at Oxford North

A landmark public artwork by the internationally acclaimed artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg has been revealed at Oxford North, where three soft, cloud-like bronze sculptures now rise from the meadow at Canalside Park, a 2.94-acre new public park being delivered by Thomas White Oxford, the development company of St John’s College, between the new homes at Canalside Quarter and the Oxford Canal.

Each one captures something normally invisible to the human eye: the plume of scent a flower releases into the air, shaped by the flight of a moth searching for its nectar.

Titled The Length of a Moment, the work is Ginsberg's first sculpture commission. Standing over two metres tall and finished in otherworldly tones of lilac, mint green and pale dove blue, the three forms appear to drift up out of the meadow, a transient moment made permanent in bronze.

The sculptures draw attention to the overlooked work of moths. Where butterflies are celebrated, moths pollinate unseen, mostly at night, and many of Oxfordshire's species are in decline. Ginsberg has taken a single instant from this hidden exchange and given it lasting form, so that anyone walking the meadow might notice the hidden lives at work around them.

Using computer modelling to simulate this natural occurrence, Ginsberg captured an otherwise invisible movement, then cast it in bronze.

The work responds directly to Canalside Park's own biodiversity and ecology strategy. The sculptures emerge from beds of a mix of thyme plants. They are set within a deliberately wilder green space at Oxford North, a meadow of native wildflowers and slow-growing grasses planted to support pollinators, bridging the city and the countryside beyond, at the heart of the UK's newest innovation district.

Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg said: “These sculptures celebrate the part every living creature plays in the world we share. I wanted to give one of the slightest, most fleeting exchanges a form we can witness, and to invite the curiosity and empathy that come from really looking.

“To see the sculptures in the meadow they belong to, surrounded by the wildlife they are really about, is the best place this work could be. I hope people slow down, a family wondering aloud what they are, someone on their lunch break pausing to take it in, and feel something of what it might be like to experience the world the way a moth does.”

Victoria Collett, development director, Thomas White Oxford, said: “From the very beginning, our vision for Oxford North has been to create a place that brings together science, innovation and culture in a way that feels meaningful and lasting. The Length of a Moment is a beautiful expression of that ambition - an artwork that sits lightly within the landscape while offering something profound for those who encounter it.

“Public art plays a vital role in shaping how a place is experienced. It creates moments of pause, reflection and connection, not just for those working here, but for the wider community and visitors to Oxford. We’re incredibly proud to be working with Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg on this commission, together with our public art steering group, and to be contributing something of real cultural value that will be here for years to come.”

At the public launch on 15 September, Ginsberg was joined by science writer and broadcaster Philip Ball for a conversation on more-than-human perception, the role of simulation in shaping the sculptures and the transformation of a fleeting natural process into bronze.

The sculptures were officially unveiled by guest of honour Councillor Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council.

Councillor Brown said: “I am delighted to today unveil this new sculpture, The Length of a Moment, in Oxford. Public art always has an important role to play in our city - and we want people to be able to see art as part of everyday life, freely accessible, sparking curiosity and helping us to see familiar places, and perhaps the world around us, differently.

“Daisy’s sculptures feel particularly fitting here in Canalside Park, connecting art with science and nature while drawing our attention to the moths and other pollinators that are such an important part of our environment. I’m delighted that this work will be here for residents, visitors and future generations to discover and enjoy.”

Philip Ball said: “Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg’s work has consistently interrogated biological phenomena in provocative and illuminating ways, and The Length of a Moment is no exception. It invites us to imagine what kinds of world might be constructed within other kinds of mind, and to contemplate aspects of the natural world that are generally invisible or imperceptible to us.”

Canalside Quarter’s new homes, which are situated alongside Canalside Park and The Length of a Moment, are being delivered by Thomas White Oxford’s residential development partner, The Hill Group.

Ryan Harris, regional director at The Hill Group, added: “It is wonderful to see The Length of a Moment sculptures unveiled at Canalside Park, adding a distinctive element to the vision for Canalside Quarter. Hill is committed to creating a place where high-quality homes sit alongside thoughtfully designed public spaces, biodiversity and art. Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg's striking work brings this vision to life, complemented by the landscape and design approach developed with Thomas White Oxford. We look forward to seeing the artwork enjoyed by residents, visitors and the wider Oxford community for years to come.”

The Length of a Moment was commissioned by Thomas White Oxford, delivered with Contemporary Art Society *Consultancy and cast by Pangolin Editions.

The permanent public artwork is open from 15 September 2026 and is freely accessible to all. The work gives Oxford a new cultural destination and adds to the city's reputation as a place where art, science and ecology meet.

The Length of a Moment is part of a much bigger cultural ambition for Oxford North. Through Engage, its long-term art, culture, social value and legacy programme, Oxford North is embedding art and cultural activity into the life of the new district as it grows.

Central to shaping its public art programme is the Oxford North Public Art Steering Group. Established in 2023, the group brings together local residents, sixth-form students, Oxford City Council, cultural organisations, architects and landscape architects, providing a range of community and expert perspectives to help guide the programme and its commissions.

Working with Contemporary Art Society *Consultancy and cultural partners across Oxford, Engage extends beyond permanent artworks into workshops, performances, discussions and shared experiences that connect people with place, science, culture and the natural world.

For Oxford North, the public art is part of how the place is being shaped, and how those who live, work and visit here are invited to experience it.