The Kapiti sculpture that can’t be given away
‘‘It’s uplifting and sends a great message. Ka¯ piti Mayor K Gurunathan
An enormous flying kiwi has got the residents of Paraparaumu Beach in a flap.
The question of who decides on public art is splitting opinion in the Ka¯ piti Coast town after the council’s art panel rejected loan of an award-winning bronze sculpture.
KiwiRiders depicts two children riding a stylised, flying kiwi. It was intended to take the place of a sculpture removed from Marine Parade after it was discovered its artist was a sex offender.
Despite Ka¯ piti Coast District Council being offered the sculpture for display, free of charge, its art panel has recommend it not be put on public display because it is ‘‘muddled and ambiguous’’.
Ka¯ piti Mayor K Gurunathan called the art panel’s reasoning ‘‘ridiculous’’ and said it should be up to the community to choose public art. The group says it’s just doing its job.
The council will meet tomorrow to decide on the 2.2-metre by 3.2m sculpture’s future, and Gurunathan said he would be voting for it to be installed.
‘‘It’s uplifting and sends a great message; what more do you want from art?’’
Stored in a council depot for the past five months, the 400-kilogram sculpture was made by Will Clijsen and won the Gold NZ Sculpture Design Award in 2011.
In 2014, it was offered to the council for about $425,000 only to be rejected. In January of this year, it was offered again – this time without charge as a longterm loan – after the sale of the O¯ taki sculpture park where it was displayed.
It would be loaned for a minimum of one year and take the place of a large tui sculpture that was removed in 2012 after its creator, Brendon Nolan, was jailed for sexually violating two girls.
But in a recent report, the art panel said the sculpture didn’t meet the council’s criteria according to its public art policy, it didn’t offer ‘‘anything of special note to Ka¯ piti, and does not have a sensitive connection to the environment’’.
Clijsen said he made the sculpture to reflect the way children’s imaginations worked. ‘‘I’d love it if everybody loved it, but that’s not the way it works.’’
Paraparaumu/Raumati Community Board spokesman Bernie Randall said it was a shame the sculpture had spent so long in storage when it was clear the community wanted it.
‘‘It should be up to the people to decide.’’