'ZiggyZagg' Memorial To David Bowie In Brixton Falls Through After Fundraising Campaign Falls Short

Plans to construct a huge ‘ZiggyZag’ thunderbolt memorial to the late David Bowie in his hometown of Brixton have had to be abandoned after the fundraising campaign fell short of its target.

Design team This Ain’t Rock ‘n’ Roll, who organised the fundraiser after gaining planning approval from Lambeth council for the three-storey sculpture, intended to be the red thunderbolt that adorns Bowie’s face on his iconic 1973 album Aladdin Sane, had wanted to raise £900,000 for the project.

However, the campaign only achieved £50,000 of the desired target within its four-week time limit, falling well short, and none of that money will therefore be taken. Despite the disappointment, the design team say they still hope to give Brixton an “appropriate piece of public art” to commemorate the area’s native son.

“Of course £50,000 doesn't go anywhere near realising the ambitions of the ZiggyZagg,” a statement from them read on Wednesday (March 22nd). “It will be no surprise to anyone that this crowdfund isn't going to hit its target.”

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They had hoped to place the massive thunderbolt icon just opposite the road from where Brixton underground station comes above ground, in virtually exactly the same place as the existing mural is located and just a few streets away from Stansfield Road, where Bowie was born and raised.

“We are still determined to celebrate David Bowie, in Brixton, with a challenging and appropriate piece of public art. We're just going to have approach the fundraising in a different way.”

They added: “If someone had told us a year ago that we'd raise £50,000 from nearly 700 wonderful people in just three weeks we wouldn't have believed it possible. Thank you from the bottom of our Bowie-obsessed hearts for supporting us.”

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