The Aotearoa Art Fair Sculpture Trail is officially now open at Viaduct Harbour
As May draws closer, you might find our city being overrun with art in myriad forms. From May 1-4, the Aotearoa Art Fair will return to the Viaduct Events Centre, and this year, there are a number of exciting collaborations, installations and satellite exhibitions to enjoy. Our pick of the fair? The new sculpture trail, scattered across Viaduct Harbour, which officially opened this week. An utterly walkable exhibition that really is perfect for everyone.
The trail features newly commissioned work from leading artists such as David McCracken, Anton Forde, Gregor Kregar, Oliver Stretton-Pow and Ben Pearce, but the star of the show is clearly Te-Wheke-a-Muturangi a majestic 15-metre wide floating cephalopoda work by internationally acclaimed artist Lisa Reihana.—. Part of Reihana’s Kura Moana Series, the work draws from the powerful Māori myth of the giant female octopus Te-Wheke-a-Muturangi, who was pursued across the Pacific and ultimately slain by the legendary navigator, Kupe. She is hand-painted in maze-like lines inspired by Reihana’s contemporary Māori weaving patterns, the vivid reds symbolising the blood spilled when the creature was defeated. This installation is best viewed from Graham Tipene’s Te Mata Topaki lookout, one of the existing permanent artworks in the precinct.
Presented by Viaduct Harbour specifically for the Aotearoa Art Fair, the Sculpture Trail reflects the waterfront precinct’s long-term vision of making arts and culture more accessible to all. It’s just one way that Viaduct Harbour helps to strengthen our city’s cultural fabric, beyond their everyday offering. It takes an incredible vision and great skill to transform one of the city’s most iconic waterfront precincts into an open-air gallery, one that, this week, has finally come to life.
"Viaduct Harbour is proud to present the Aotearoa Art Fair Sculpture Trail, bringing world-class art to Auckland’s pre-eminent waterfront destination,” says Celeste Labana-Clayton, Head of Marketing & Brand, Viaduct Harbour. “As a place where culture and connection thrive, we’re honoured to showcase extraordinary works by artists from across Aotearoa in a setting that represents the energy, creativity, and vibrancy of our city."
But I do think that there’s something truly special about art that is made accessible for all, and it’s one of the most magnificent parts of what Viaduct Harbour is doing. In an industry that is rapidly becoming defined by a handful of galleries and collectors, this new sculpture trail—and the Aotearoa Art Fair itself—is proof that Auckland is a city that comes alive with art, and I’d argue that this is when the city is at its absolute best.
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