IT took just 24 hours for the first bride and groom to discover Fremantle’s grand new entry statement Rainbow.

Marcus Canning’s sculpture of nine sea containers painted and welded together in a colourful arch formed the perfect backdrop for their wedding portraits, while it literally bought traffic to a stop as locals and visitors alike stopped to admire the $145,000 artwork.

Canning says Rainbow is a universal symbol of hope and inspiration as well as welcoming people to Fremantle, where the sight of container convoys rolling into its port is an everyday part of life.

Fremantle mayor Brad Pettitt said he hoped Rainbow would spark debate and conversation.

“It’s big, it’s bold and colourful and very Freo,” Dr Pettitt said.

“As a city of artists we have commissioned a dynamic artwork that has been conceived, engineered and produced in Western Australia and represents the ingenuity of our arts industry.”

Canning said turning the concept into reality had its challenges from an engineering and construction point of view.

“It was always going to be a challenge to connect nine sea containers and make them hover in an arch which at its apex is nine metres above the ground. The result is 66 tonnes of wow,” he said.