Speaker by Various Artists

Before we have PR about the art and its meaning, let the public have a say about the LOCATION.

Between an alleyway! What were they thinking

In related news, this is an actual Taxpayers' Union press release:

Masturbating Nun a Poor Use of Ratepayer Money

In an unusual coalition the Taxpayers’ Union is backing concerns expressed by the morally conservative Family First lobby group regarding a highly offensive t-shirt being displayed at the Canterbury Museum. The t-shirt features a semi-naked nun masturbating.

The Taxpayers' Union has received confirmation from the Museum that ratepayer money has been used to support the "T-shirts unfolding" exhibition. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says:

“Our objection isn’t to the t-shirt per se, our objection is ratepayer money being used for what is, at best, an item with little cultural or historic value.”

“In matters of taste there is a higher onus on publicly funded bodies to avoid funding matters of a highly dubious nature. One can argue that restrictions on freedom of speech and blasphemy are unjustified, while also acknowledging that higher standards should apply to what public money is used to promote."

The day we listen to Jordan Williams on "cultural or historic value" is the day it's over for we humans.

How is the Taxpayers' Union and Family First an "unusual coalition"? Two right-wing reactionaries hiding behind the pretence of an "organisation" whose sole goal is to get into the papers as much as possible. They're a match made in heaven.

Seems the Tax Avoiders Union are wankers too, in addition to their other crimes

So we can add art to the long list of things nasty neoliberals like Farrar and Williams do not understand.

Hamish you make it all seem so simple, so logical - we have committees to ensure this isn't so

I sometimes wonder if the "public" are as negative towards art these things get framed... ie how much public money is "wasted" on "insert derogatory term for piece of art"

I really like the work at New Lynn, sure brightened a drab ally that has heavy use

Is it true the "Taxpayers Union" was about to greet Alex Swney as their fourth member? That's what I heard, anyway..

In response to your central premise that the works are selected by committee, I would tend to disagree. The three examples mentioned are each internationally respected artists, I think their projects have been driven to detailed design stage or completion by reputation alone.
Prior to the Supercity these jobs would have gone to a regional artist and driven by quality rather than repute and the competitive tender model that you reject, gave some idea of the range of quality available.
I think a first rate artwork by a regionally relevant artist is better value than a second rate work by an art star.

cite site specific sights & signs…

They are the reasons for the work and they need to be clearly and unambiguously answered even before any artist is approached.

Nice work – if you can get it – for a social shaman, a diviner or the geomancy boys (or girls) – sibyl engineering perforce…

Pope on a rope?

Masturbating Nun a Poor Use of Ratepayer Money

Back story on T-shirt affront and back too…

art official light…

Between an alleyway! What were they thinking

…inside the rectangle?
I think it’ll look very Blade Runner when it’s finished, with the lights and all, it’ll probably end up being blocked off regularly for film and ad shoots – which will be irksome, buta nice little earner for the City…
an evening parade of lights through there could be fun, too…

How is Parekowhai not a regionally relevant artist? Ditto Kregar, for that matter.

Between an alleyway! What were they thinking

What's wrong with having art in an alleyway - and a busy pedestrian thoroughfare at that? It seems a lot more pleasant than having nothing.

Keir, These artists are the new regionally relevant ones, I think that's the issue here. The Supercity was created to make Auckland regionally relevant in the Pacific, and localism is history.
Is what is relevant in Hong Kong or Dusseldorf relevant in Mangere Bridge?

It’s interesting that Henry Moore is used as an example of the artists interest in the spatial relationship to his/her artwork, or Pablo Picaso. These are not famous for building sculpture in context with there placement. They built stand alone artwork.

If that was submitted to me in an art history class, I'm afraid it would come back with a LOT of big red question marks in the margins. Henry Moore's entire sculptural practice was intimately concerned with their relationship to their situation, and most of his highest profile work was commissioned (and not always without tension and controversy). He also often sold work at a fraction of its market value to public institutions and local authorities because, as a committed socialist, he viewed public art as also having a social function. (Which is why in 2012, the Henry Moore Foundation protested the London Borough of Tower Hamlets plans to sell a piece he'd sold to the then-London County Council on the understanding it would always be on public display.)

“Our objection isn’t to the t-shirt per se, our objection is ratepayer money being used for what is, at best, an item with little cultural or historic value.”

“In matters of taste there is a higher onus on publicly funded bodies to avoid funding matters of a highly dubious nature. One can argue that restrictions on freedom of speech and blasphemy are unjustified, while also acknowledging that higher standards should apply to what public money is used to promote.”

Let's add museography to the very long list of subjects Mr. Williams is woefully under-qualified to talk about without adult supervision. I don't know if he has ever visited the Jüdisches Museum in Berlin or London's Imperial War Museum, but I have. Both institutions -- which enjoy substantial public financial support -- contain material that should be profoundly offensive and distressing to anyone who isn't a moral cretin. Because that's what they're bloody supposed to do. I'm very glad Mr Williams lives in some rainbow lollypop fantasy world where everything is nice and generally inoffensive, but I don't. And no cultural institution with any standards whatsoever should either.

I'm very glad Mr Williams lives in some rainbow lollypop fantasy world where everything is nice and generally inoffensive, but I don't. And no cultural institution with any standards whatsoever should either.

Sounds a bit like 'Disneyland with the death penalty' as William Gibson described it.

Each public art work should have its own project manager. This is not a job for a committee

Sadly, this is most readily seen in the private sphere rather than the public one though there are private collectors who do defer to committees (though undoubtedly they also choose the members). Last year I was fortunate to spend a fair amount of time on the Gibb’s Farm. Whatever you think of his politics (which I doubt would receive much support on this forum), what Alan Gibbs has created is nothing short of extraordinary. Wandering around (with mouth open in amazement) I also got the feeling very quickly that bringing together such works would have been virtually impossible under a committee selection / project management structure. With works of such scale, it’s not only the art to be considered but the engineering which is often pushed to the limits of what is physically possible (not something that a risk-adverse committee is likely to tackle). Serra’s Te Tuhirangi Contour and Bernar Venet’s 88.5° ARC x 8 are in my mind the two finest modern works of sculpture that exist in New Zealand. Venet’s work is normally located in nice sedate city squares. Sticking 88.5° ARC x 8 on an exposed wind-swept facing the Kaipara Harbour involved deadening chains hanging inside the columns to prevent the Aeolian effect of the wind shaking them to pieces and a 300 tonne base buried underground to stop the thing toppling over. Gibb’s thoughts on how he commissions the works is nicely summarised in the first three minutes of Lightening Dreams.

Gibb’s thoughts on how he commissions the works is nicely summarised in the first three minutes of Lightening Dreams.

Gibb's thoughts on anything are an anathema to me. Sure, I am concerned about what he has done with our money but more from the perspective of how he got away with it rather than how he enjoys it and in no way do I think his flaunting of his ill gotten gains is a favour to the people of New Zealand.

Gabor, I find the collection at the farm fascinating and I think the two works you pick are not just the best in NZ but probably world class. The fascination comes from some of the other work which is dire. I can see Gibbs getting his eye in or was it Jamie Ross, or Noël Lane, oh it's starting to sound like a committee..

No half-assed art here...

...a donkey in the toilet

it's a Bray New World...
living on Burro'ed Time!

Er, I haven't visited the place, but if it's a busy public walkway, why shouldn't the art be there. Shall we remove all the public art from the alleyways around the High St precinct?

What’s wrong with having art in an alleyway – and a busy pedestrian thoroughfare at that? It seems a lot more pleasant than having nothing.

It actually works well in that space – transforming the thoroughfare into something different. The buildings provide the frame.

– transforming the thoroughfare into something different.

The Other's Way?