Cardiff Contemporary art festival takes to streets

A car crushed by a "meteorite" is outside the Millennium Stadium

Strange things are beginning to appear on the streets of Cardiff as the city becomes a modern art gallery.

Hundreds of events and artworks are promised in the month-long Cardiff Contemporary visual arts festival.

A car apparently crushed by a "meteorite" is now outside the Millennium Stadium, while a flag will fly above Cardiff Castle saying "Call Mum".

Organisers hope the event will attract visitors to boost the city like similar events in Liverpool and Glasgow.

Erwin Wurm's One Minute Sculpture images can be seen at Cardiff Central station

A new extension is being built on Cardiff Castle by Richard Woods

Simon Fenoulhet will explore tunnels, cellars and basements to create an underground map of the city

Other attractions and activities include:

• A red brick extension to Cardiff Castle

• "Sound pieces" based on the speeches of the late MP Aneurin Bevan to be broadcast daily from the castle's clock tower

• An underground map of Cardiff, with markers telling people what lies in the tunnels, basements and cellars beneath their feet

• Walls at Cardiff Central railway station to show images of artist Erwin Wurm posing in his series of One Minute Sculptures

• A "tap-mob" mass tap dancing event outside the register office at city hall

• A sculpture trail along the Docks Feeder Canal near Schooner Way

• An art hotel where visitors will be invited to book themselves in and create work

• Mystery bus tours around the city

• Live performances in empty shops

Ruth Cayford, visual arts manager for Cardiff council, said: "We hope the festival will reach the broadest possible audience.

"We will be working to extend access to hard-to reach groups and find innovative ways to increase the participation in the visual arts in Cardiff."

Cardiff Contemporary runs until 9 November.