Old plane in Olympic arts project

Marc Rees first saw the plane fuselage at an art fair in Spain

An abandoned aeroplane will be the centrepiece of a £230,000 arts project in Wales to celebrate the London 2012 Olympics.

Artist Marc Rees, 43, of Alltwen, Neath Port Talbot, is using the fuselage of a DC9 aeroplane to create a mobile arts space which will tour Wales in 2012.

The plane will visit Swansea, Ebbw Vale, Llandudno and Broughton.

Other arts projects will take place around the UK to mark the Olympics and Paralympics taking place in London.

Mr Rees' work, entitled Adain Avion - Wing Flight - was selected by a panel of artists and producers from five shortlisted entries in Wales.

The fuselage will arrive at each site pulled by a team made up of members of the community. Dancers and artists will spending up to a year working with residents as part of the scheme.

Rees, who has lived and worked in Amsterdam, Montreal and Berlin, said the fuselage looked "extraordinary".

"It seems to trigger the imagination with possibilities and people will want to make it their own," he said.

"It will be mysterious, a strange object in a familiar place, but it will become familiar and full of art for all who choose to become a part of the project.

"Adain Avion will aim to reflect the distinctive qualities of the communities and places in its journey through Wales."

Marc Rees' project was chosen from five shortlisted entries

He added the plane would be transported to Wales from Spain, where he first saw it at an art fair.

David Alston, arts director of the Arts Council of Wales which has been involved in the project, said Mr Rees' idea was "captivating".

"It will be dramatic and involving both the creative team Marc Rees is bringing together and the public's active participation," he said.

"It will be fascinating to follow the plane's progress and placement in Wales in its various 'nesting' sites throughout the country."

Artists around the UK are receiving up to £500,000 to create works for a "Cultural Olympiad" in the run-up to the 2012 London games.

There is one commission for each of the nine English regions and the nations of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

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