FROM Dreamspace to nightmare. Artist Maurice Agis's spectacular inflatable work had barely been open for a single day before a gang of knife-wielding youngsters had slashed through the thin, multi-coloured PVC fabric, rendering it hopelessly inactive.
As the opening exhibit of the latest Liverpool Brouhaha international street festival it took the wind out of the organisers' momentum and provided welcome ammunition for those still lurking in the wings waiting to gleefully pour scorn on the city's nomination as Culture Capital 2008.
But, as everybody knows, anything can happen in dreams.
Barely a week later the 5 metre high installation, a labyrinth of 109 ovoid cells coloured blue, green, yellow, red, or grey, has been patched up as good as new.
And its already proving to be a wonder to the curious.
Its home is the concrete plateau on the Brownlow Hill side of the Metropolitan Cathedral. Shadowed by temporary security fences and a 24-hour guard, the aforementioned cynics will say this is confirmation of the Philistine reputation Liverpool still has in some quarters.
The truth is that our inner city is no different to any other when it comes to twilight mischief makers plaguing brave and different works of art left vulnerable and exposed out on the street.
Certainly David Shanks, Tony Davies and Michael Gunnigle are confident that the trouble which marred the start of Dreamspace will not be repeated.
