Murano is a piece of public art on the Boscombe Arts Trail, positioned at the edge of Boscombe Chine Gardens where the ground looks out towards Boscombe Pier. The sculpture takes the form of a dome in the Venetian style and is made to appear filled with sea creatures, a reference to the glass-making heritage of Murano itself, transplanted to the Dorset shoreline.
The Boscombe Arts Trail
Dorset sculptor Andy Kirkby produced Murano along with six other sculptures, all installed in 2010 after he was picked by a panel made up of arts professionals, ward councillors and people living locally. Walking the whole trail takes about 25 minutes, costs nothing, and leads from the Boscombe shopping precinct along Sea Road to the pier. A marine theme ties the pieces together, drawing on talks with residents and on the district's history and literary associations; bronze, copper and cast iron are used throughout, and a repeated gilded rope motif links one work to the next. Among the other trail pieces still standing are Verne, a diving helmet perched on an octopus in tribute to Jules Verne, and Optic, an oversized marble sphere placed behind bench railings.
Visiting
Because Murano stands outdoors, there is nothing to pay and no opening hours: see it whenever you like on a walk along Sea Road or through Boscombe Chine Gardens. It makes a natural pause on the way down to Boscombe Pier and the sand, and fits neatly with time spent in Boscombe Chine Gardens. For more outdoor sculpture and seafront routes across the area, see our guide to things to do in Bournemouth.
