The artist who installed an artwork to support Ukraine is “sad” it is being removed after it received a “fantastic” response.  

The installation, created by Standing with Giants, was unveiled in Broad Street on March 30 and will come down this Friday (April 30).

Standing 12 foot in height, the installation depicts a solider leading refugees to safety.

READ MORE: Standing with Giants installation launched in Oxford

Oxford Mail: Artist Dan Barton with the installationArtist Dan Barton with the installation

The solider can be seen helping a mother and her two children, who are carrying bags of their possessions along with them. One child is held in the soldier’s arms while the other walks alongside his mother, holding a toy rabbit.

Created by Witney-based artist Dan Barton, the artwork was completed in just 12 days with the team pulling 14 hour days to make it happen.

The artist has been deeply affected by the war in Ukraine and said his “heart is bleeding” for the people there.

Mr Barton is currently looking for new home for the installation.  

He said “I am sad that has to come down and we have asked if it can go back up at a slightly later date.”

Oxford Mail: Dan Barton in his workshop. Picture: Ed Nix Dan Barton in his workshop. Picture: Ed Nix

Since the artwork was set up in Broad Street, Mr Barton has received “great feedback” from Ukrainian, Russian and Polish people.

“We have had a fantastic response. Some of the TikTok stuff went off and reached many tens of thousands of people, I think 45,000 one of them reached,” he said. 

He added he is happy the installation was received in the way he intended it to be, with people taking time to think about the impact of the war on Ukraine’s people.

Mr Barton explained: “A lot of them were saying ‘that could have been us’ and ‘they are just ordinary people just like you and me’ and some people were getting quite emotional with that thought.”

The Oxford Mail contacted Oxford City Council about the artwork being taken down but the council insisted it was a county council matter instead.

Oxfordshire County Council, however, said the installation was not in its remit and said it was a city issue.

READ MORE: Five easy walks in Oxfordshire

Oxford Mail: Picture: Ed Nix Picture: Ed Nix

Mr Barton was able to confirm the installation was organised through the city council who he was “really grateful” to for enabling it to go up.

A spokesperson for the city council said: “Our involvement was purely in granting a permit for the installation and ensuring that there were no objections.

“The City Council granted a permit for the art work for the period requested in the artist’s application, which was until 30 April. We have not received an application for an extension of the permit from the artist.”

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