A new sculpture along Gozo’s coastline is turning heads and dividing opinion.Last week, an abstract, eight-legged horse titled “WIEĦED” by Gozitan artist Austin Camilleri was installed near the Xwejni Salt Pans at Ras ir-Reqqa, and it has quickly become the centre of a national conversation.If it feels familiar, that’s because it is.Camilleri is no stranger to controversy. His earlier horse-inspired work, Żieme, also sparked debate, but this time the scale, setting, and context have taken things further.WIEĦED forms part of a wider public art initiative launched through a 2021 open call by the Ministry for Gozo, aimed at bringing contemporary art into public spaces across the island. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta)According to project documentation, no new infrastructure or artificial lighting was introduced during installation, in an effort to minimise impact on the surrounding landscape.But that hasn’t stopped the backlash.The project has divided public opinion, particularly given its location within a Natura 2000 site and ODZ area. Authorities and organisations including the Environment and Resources Authority, BirdLife Malta and NGO Għawdix have raised concerns about its placement in a sensitive natural environment.Some critics have gone as far as calling the sculpture an “eyesore”.Others, particularly within the arts community, have come to its defence, with some describing it as one of the most significant pieces of public art in Malta in recent years.The project is publicly funded, with sources confirming to Lovin Malta that the sculpture cost €209,000 before VAT. The figure has raised many eyebrows while simultaneously reignited a familiar debate: why does spending on art so often spark such strong reactions?As for what the sculpture actually represents, that depends on who you ask.Some see political symbolism, two forces intertwined, directionless, and heading for the edge.Others interpret it as a protective, almost mythical creature standing between nature and human intervention.And others still see something more literal: two horse forms suspended mid-air, viewed from a less-than-flattering angle.The artist has said the sculpture reworks traditional monument styles into something both familiar and unsettling, questioning authority and reflecting on the natural world beyond the human.“Its form reflects the site’s coastal contour and is in dialogue with the submerged Billighurst Cave,” he said.Whatever your interpretation, and whether you agree with the cost or the placement of the sculpture in a natural setting, one thing is clear.WIEĦED has done exactly what public art is often meant to do.It has made people stop, look and talk.What do you think of the sculpture? She this article with someone who hasn’t yet seen the statue •