A TELESCOPE of giant sunflowers looking into a bright blue sky was unveiled as the first image of the region’s latest piece of public art yesterday.

Futurescope, at Darlington’s Lingfield Point business park, is a two-year outdoor exhibition of a series of eight huge circular photographs and images.

The artists behind Futurescope – Christian Barnes and John Kennedy – have said that although they have ideas for the remaining seven designs, they could still change.

Displayed on the eastern side of the Powerhouse, which faces the Eastern Transport Corridor and the Darlington ring road, it is hoped the art feature will provide a landmark gateway for the town.

The feature was commissioned by developers Marchday, who are hoping it will also establish Lingfield Point as a centre for art comparable to the Baltic, in Newcastle, or mima, in Middlesbrough.

It is the first phase in Lingfield Point’s art strategy, which will see the business park working with Tees Valley Arts to reach out into the neighbouring communities of Lingfield, Red Hall and Lascelles and provide creative workshops.

Thousands of packs of sunflower seeds have also been distributed around Darlington to coincide with the project.

It is hoped people will photograph their efforts and post them to the Futurescope Facebook page.

John Orchard, of Marchday, said: “We really believe that art, in its broadest sense, can make a real difference to people’s experience. The Powerhouse is the first building you see as you come into Darlington down the Eastern Transport Corridor off the A66. It is a great opportunity for us to say art is happening here at Lingfield Point.”