Show us Superlambanana ownership documents, challenges lawyer

Apr 29 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL Culture Company could be forced to reveal its ownership documents of the Superlambanana, after being served with a Freedom of Information request by its creator’s lawyer.

Japanese artist Taro Chiezo, who created the work, is claiming ownership of the 17ft sculpture.

But last night his barrister Francis McEntegart admitted he did not have the ownership docu-ments for the famous sculpture.

Mr McEntegart and the Liver-pool Culture Company are locked in a dispute over ownership.

Despite having previously said that the artwork was on loan to the city, the Culture Company last month demanded Mr McEntegart prove his client owns the work.

The Daily Post is campaigning to keep the icon in Liverpool after it was revealed it could be sold – possibly to Manchester.

Last night Mr McEntegart hit out at the way the Culture Com-pany was making negotiations “difficult” and resolved the best way to get the documents was under the Freedom of Information Act.

A spokesman for the Culture Company said: “We still have not heard from Mr McEntegart and we look forward to a discussion as soon as possible to resolve this issue in the best interests of both parties.”

The situation is complicated by the fact the organisation that orig-inally commissioned the work – Artranspennine – no longer exists.

The sculpture passed to the Liverpool Architect Design Trust (LADT) and Mr McEntegart claims Liverpool City Council became the “custodians” of the sculpture when LADT folded.

Mr McEntegart said: “I have had conversations with the people involved in commissioning the work, and they all say it was a 10 year period.

“I will make a request under the Freedom of Information Act to see the documents that they have.

“Whatever the city claims to have, lets see it.”

He said he had also discovered a £20,000 grant from the National Lottery might be repayable if the art work were sold.

He said if the artist decided to sell with the council still claiming ownership it would be up to the local authority to seek an injunction stopping the sale.

“They would have to prove that they own it.”

Since its arrival, it has had various homes in the city, including outside ships chandlers JP Lamb, on The Strand, before it was demolished for redevelopment.

It currently stands outside the Liverpool John Moores University learning resource centre in Tithebarn Street.

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