The Star: October 19, 2017

12
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Thursday October 19 2017
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Fire rages, homes at risk
Value of city’s art surges to $13.7m
As new buildings pop up in Christchurch after the
earthquakes, the city’s public art collection has
also grown. Bridget Rutherford looks at the new
pieces
THE VALUE of the city’s public
outdoor art has risen to $13.7
million with 19 new pieces added
to the collection in the last eight
years.
The city council has had its
outdoor artwork in public places
revalued by Art + Object. It was
the first valuation since June
2009.
Usually it would have been
done every three years, but the
September 4, 2010, and February
22, 2011, earthquakes meant it
could not happen until now.
Eight years ago, the total value
of the city’s public art was $5.9
million.
City council head of parks
Brent Smith said, since then, 19
new pieces had been added to the
collection.
Some were gifts, while others
were partially paid for by the city
council through its Public Art
Advisory Group alongside other
organisations.
Mr Smith said due to commercial
sensitivity, he could not say
how much each cost, but released
what each was valued at.
The figures show the most valuable
was the Fanfare sculpture
at Chaneys Corner by artist Neil
Dawson at just over $3 million.
It was funded through the
Public Art Advisory Group and
SCAPE Public Art.
That was followed by Antony
Gormley’s STAY, which consists
of two humanoid cast-iron sculptures,
one in the Avon River and
another at the Arts Centre.
They are valued at $956,522.
The city council put about
$500,000 towards the work, with
the Canterbury Earthquake
Recovery Authority paying
$338,000.
The $160,000 in extra costs like
transport, legal fees and installation
was paid for through sponsorship.
Critics said the ratepayer
money should have been spent
elsewhere.
Solidarity Grid, a series of 20
lamp posts by Mischa Kuball
along Park Tce, which was
bought by SCAPE and the Public
Art Advisory Group fund, was
valued at $869,565.
The most recent public art
work to be installed was Pupu
Harakeke by artist Virginia
King, which sits in the square of
Ngai Tahu’s King Edward Barracks
development.
Valued at $63,362, Pupu
Harakeke is a large, stainless
steel shell, which has words cut
out of it and rotates on a pole.
It was jointly paid for by Ngai
Tahu, the city council and anchor
tenant EY, and installed in
March.
EY partner Ben Willems
picked the sculpture to help
remember those lost in the
February 22, 2011, earthquake,
including his wife Lisa Willems.
Lyttelton’s bronze Sled Dog by
Mark Whyte was gifted last year.
It was valued between $32,000-
$42,000.
In 2013, Lyttelton’s Albion
Square got three pieces: The
$10,075 Mandala, the Fifth Ship
Flagpoles valued at $11,342, and
the most valuable, Waharoa, at
$113,043.
Bishopdale Library’s Orauwhata
was installed last year. Its
value was $40,000.
Two others were unveiled
last year at Aranui Community
Centre. Nga Hoe was valued at
$76,900, while the cast concrete
design was $5000.
In 2015, Te Ao Marama, valued
at $21,400, was installed in
Scarborough Park.
Two years prior, the Papanui-
Innes Community Board commissioned
Sam Mahon to create
VALUABLE: Tree Houses for
Swamp Dwellers (left) on
the corner of Gloucester and
Colombo Sts was valued at
$391,304.
a sculpture of the late Graham
Condon, which now sits outside
the Graham Condon Sport and
Recreation Centre. It was valued
at $69,565.
Tree Houses for Swamp Dwellers
was valued at $391,304. It
was installed on the corner of
Gloucester and Colombo Sts in
2013.
In 2012, Koauau O Tane
Whakapiripiri Pou and Ohinehou
Pou were both gifted and put
in place in Governors Bay’s Pony
Point Reserve and Lyttelton’s
Sutton Reserve.
Passing Time, the large twisting
ribbon of stainless steel
EXPENSIVE: Neil Dawson’s
Fanfare (left), valued at more
than $3 million, was the
most valuable new piece of
public art acquired by the
city council in the past eight
years. Antony Gormley’s STAY
in the Avon River (below) and
at the Arts Centre was valued
at $956,522.
and copper boxes outside Ara
Institute of Canterbury, was put
in place in 2011.
Its value was $304,348, while
Serenade in Fendalton Park was
installed in 2010. It was now
valued at $55,000.
Mr Smith said public art was
important because it was an
indicator of cultural well being,
and promoted Christchurch as
a centre of artistic and cultural
excellence.
“It provides for a city environment
enriched by a variety of
works of art in public spaces and
recognition of the excellence and
achievements of local artists.”
ART: Orauwhata
(far left), outside
Bishopdale
Library, and
Pupu Harakeke
at King Edward
Barracks
were valued
at $40,000
and $63,362
respectively.
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