We’ve waited three years... now the creative carnival of Folkestone Triennial is bringing world-class art to our shores for the next nine weeks.

From metal men staring out to sea to floating houses and hermit crabs hiding in their colourful shells, Folkestone has art to get everyone thinking.

The nine-week creative feast the Folkestone Triennial launches this weekend for its fourth edition with a myriad of mesmerising artworks.

Artists from all over the world, and others closer to home, have been working for months, and in some cases, years, on their contributions to the nine-week artistic celebration, which runs from Saturday, September 2, to Sunday, November 5 and takes over the public and open spaces of the town – as well as some more hidden corners.

The most high profile visitors to the town for the event are two cast iron figures by Antony Gormley – best known for his statue, the Angel of the North.

The two are part of a series of figures, Another Time, sited around the country. One is in the Half Tide Loading Bay on the leeward side of the Harbour Arm, where the artist once considered locating his studio.

The other is facing, on the other side of Sunny Sands beach. A third has appeared off the short in Margate, in partnership with Turner Contemporary.

The event will be officially opened to the public at 10am on Saturday, September 2, at the bottom of the Old High Street, with the first day of an exhibition, On the Edge, at Folkestone Quarterhouse, from 11am.

There will also be a series of walks, talks, workshops and study days throughout the nine weeks.

SOME OF THE WORKS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Lubaina Himid created a Jelly Mould Pavilion on Folkestone’s sea front, on the former Rotunda site of the town’s fun fair, Lido and amusement park. Drawing inspiration from the candy floss and toffee apples of the past that fuelled visitors, the colourful structure is a place to shelter and rest, and to look out to sea from.

Richard Woods took his inspiration from the advertising of holiday homes in the area, the first spot having been in the harbour. His five-part installation Holiday Home will pop up in some bizarre locations and painted in a variety of colours. It also emphasise the housing crisis in the South East yet booming market in second, or holiday, homes.

Amalia Pica delved deep into the world of sea shells and sea shell sculptures for her work. While not always given the status of “art” she has elevated hers to be worthy, and explored the pleasurable possibilities of sea shells, creating works which are dotted around the town.

Kent’s Emily Peasgood’s interactive audio installation explores the situation of the dead in their graves above the living. Baptist Burial Ground was started in the 1750s in the garden of a miller and was in use until 1855. After the railway arrived, the slopes of the Pent Valley were cut away to be developed as terraced housing, and the burial ground was left stranded 20ft in the air. Halfway to Heaven celebrates it with each audio channel related to a specific gravestone and containing musical quotations from Baptist hymns.

DETAILS

The Folkestone Triennial runs for nine weeks from Saturday, September 2, to Sunday, November 5. For more details and information on the artists and events go to folkestonetriennial.org.uk