The Four Plinths Temporary Sculpture Project
The Trust's major continuing project is to place a series of temporary sculptures on the four large plinths located between the national museum Te Papa and the Circa Theatre. These mark the boundary between the Te Papa forecourt and Wellington Waterfront, and have a very high pedestrian count and visibility. They make a superb site for contemporary sculpture.
Each of the plinths, large concrete cubes covered in bluestone, are 2m square.
The project operates to select and install a new work on or around the four plinths every two years, with an opening as a part of the International Festival of the Arts which takes place in Wellington over three weeks in February and March in even number years (2010, 2012 etc).
The selected work stays on the plinths for up to 22 months, then being removed to make way for its successor.
The Trust has established a Four Plinths Selection Panel comprising three trustees, Sue Elliott (Chair), Neil Plimmer and Jon Craig, and four other Wellingtonians, Christina Barton (Director Adam Art Gallery), Chris McDonald (Senior Lecturer, Victoria University Wellington) and Richard Reddaway (Programme Leader (Postgraduate) Massey University School of Fine Arts).
The committee undertakes a selection process which normally commences soon after a new work is installed. The selected artist currently receives $25,000 to fabricate and install the work. The work remains in the ownership of the artist and may be sold at the end of its time on the plinths.
Wellington Sculpture Trust Chairman Neil Plimmer says the Four Plinths is a stunning site for major art installations. "The chosen work will be seen by millions of people - those visiting Te Papa and Circa, and others walking around the Waterfront.
“With our two yearly cycle we will over time place an outstanding range of temporary works, each of which will add huge interest to this part of Wellington.
"The project is only possible with the support of our two major donors, Wellington City Council and Wellington Waterfront Ltd. We hope with further sponsorship we will be able to increase the value of the award in future years, and build national and international recognition for the project," he said.
The first of the Four Plinths sculptures is Green Islands by Regan Gentry. It was installed before the 2008 International Festival of the Arts and will remain in place until early 2010. It has been extremely popular with many Wellingtonians who are keen that a site can be found for the pieces to remain in public view in Wellington.
The work is the result of Gentry's first visit to the site when he was struck by the absence of natural vegetation. With each plinth providing an island for “greenery” Gentry has ironically introduced plants to the area, creating replica trees and other flora commonly found around Wellington out of the ever-popular number 8 fencing wire.
The Panel and Trust expect the 2010-11 choice to be announced around mid-2009.
(Updated March 2009)
