Plans have been submitted to Durham County Council for the relocation of sculptures from the front terrace to the lawned area to the north of Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle.

The Bowes Museum said it is a place of artists, designers and makers, and aims to celebrate artworks and their creators and showcase objects that can inspire the next generation.

Martin Smith’s Kinetic Arboretum features three metal trees that respond to the elements with gentle, rhythmical movements. They have been temporarily sited on the terrace of The Bowes Museum since 2023.

Smith’s work is influenced by one of The Bowes Museum’s most iconic objects, the Silver Swan.

Smith said: “The Silver Swan has, for 30 years, paddled around in my big pool of research and inspiration. The illusion of rippling water created by the rotating glass rods is one of the most exciting and satisfying parts of any automaton I’ve ever seen."

The proposed relocation more appropriately sites the Kinetic Arboretum within a natural setting and provides a complementary contrast between the architectural features of the listed building and the informality of the Grade II listed parkland.