Comments by Neil Plimmer, Chairman of the Wellington Sculpture Trust, at the opening of Green Islands
6 December 2007
We are here to celebrate two wonderful projects.
One is the launch of Wellington's Four Plinths Sculpture Project which is designed to use these magnificent plinths as a site for a recurring “passing parade” of the finest temporary sculptures we can find.
We are planning new works on the site every two years; we expect the selection process each time to attract New Zealand's best artists and over time international artists too; and we expect each opening to be a truly major event on Wellington's and New Zealand's arts calendar.
And second, we are of course celebrating the first selection in this series, the stunning work before you, Green Islands by Regan Gentry. If the wind that usually blows through this site doesn't sweep you off your feet, then metaphorically Green Islands will do so.
It is a sculpture that does so many things: it shows off New Zealand's ongoing ability to be imaginative with No 8 wire; it makes an ironic comment about the barrenness of this site in terms of vegetation; and it shows the huge creativity of a young Wellington artist.
In making these things happen we are indebted to two core funders, Wellington City Council through its Public Arts Fund and Wellington Waterfront Ltd, who actually own the four plinths. Both have been strongly supportive and we thank them both.
We have also received a great deal of assistance from Te Papa and extend our appreciation for that too.
Which leads me to invite to the podium Jonathan Mane-Wheoki, the Director of everything arts at Te Papa, to speak to us. I hope he will say that Te Papa likes Regan's work...but we will see.....
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Three other organisations have helped Regan and the Trust to bring Green Islands altogether, and the Trust joins Regan in warmly thanking them. They are Legacy Wire Ltd., Fletcher EasySteel, and Weltec, who provided the studio facilities for the fabrication of the work at Petone.
Regan himself has been a real pleasure to work with. The project has taught us that temporary sculptures are just as fraught with difficulties as permanent ones. Regan faced really big challenges with total commitment and professionalism, and mighty sore hands too.
We are very lucky to have him in Wellington. I expect soon we can announce that we are commissioning another, permanent, work from him. I'm delighted to ask him to speak....
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My final thank-yous are to the Selection Panel – a group of great Wellingtonians who worked through lengthy organisational and selection processes. Katy Campbell, one of our Trustees, chaired the panel and also made tonight's opening happen. We extend our warmest thanks to Katy and her panel.
I am now honoured to welcome Her Worship the Mayor, Kerry Prendergast, to speak and open Green Islands, the first Four Plinths Sculpture Project. I'm sure this is the most important function to date in her new third term in office, a result that given her intense support for our work I must say is pleasing for bodies like the Trust.
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Some very last words: the Trust has recently supported the publication by VUW Press of a great book on Wellington Sculpture. If you have not purchased a copy we encourage you to do so; it is in fact available in the Te Papa bookshop which is open this evening.
And I am pleased to confirm that all of you with invitations are expected to join us through the Red Gates to celebrate tonight's opening and the end of a successful year for sculpture in Wellington.
Thank you all for coming. I wish you the best of seasons greetings from the Wellington Sculpture Trust.
