New Zealand artist revealed as sculptor of Southbank ‘kangaroo’ work
An artist who sparked controversy overseas with a waterfront installation has been revealed as the creator of a $2m work proposed for Southbank.
Victoria
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An artist who was paid $2m for a giant kangaroo sculpture set for Southbank has a controversial reputation in his native New Zealand.
It can be revealed that part-Maori sculptor Michael Parekowhai is the artist commissioned by the City of Melbourne to create an Aboriginal-themed “destination” artwork near Southbank Boulevard.
While the council will not provide details of the project, it’s understood Mr Parekowhai’s piece features a kangaroo on a chair wrapped in wire and lights, as revealed in Tuesday’s Herald Sun.
The Southbank project was initially overseen by the council’s former arts manager Kaye Glamuzina, who had presided over another commission by the artist when she was arts manager for Auckland Council.
Mr Parekowhai was paid NZ$1.5m for The Lighthouse — an installation on Auckland’s waterfront that looks like a house.
NZ media reports in 2017 said the house was originally supposed to have a huge chandelier that shone like a lighthouse, but to cut costs it was replaced with 10 smaller chandeliers representing stars which guided early Maori navigators.
Reported reaction to the artwork included “most hideous thing I’ve ever seen”, “a waste of money, we’ve got a housing crisis” and “don’t really see the purpose of it”.
At the time, Ms Glamuzina said she didn’t expect everybody to “love it immediately”.
“I do expect that people will have a reaction to it and feel something,” she said then.
Other works by Mr Parekowhai, who is also a fine arts professor at Auckland University, include a polished steel sculpture of explorer Captain James Cook on show in the Art Gallery of NSW.
State government and Opposition MPs have questioned the city council spending $2m on the Southbank artwork.
Ratepayers Victoria president Dean Hurlston said it was an inappropriate waste of ratepayers’ money.
“There are far better things to be focused on, not to mention why are we not supporting Australian art and business first,” he said.
Ms Glamuzina, who left Melbourne City Council last year, declined to comment on Mr Parekowhai’s works, including the Southbank commission.
A council spokeswoman said that Ms Glamuzina was not on the independent panel that unanimously selected the Southbank artist.
“The expression of interest process for the Southbank Major Public Art Commission was open to national and international artists,” she said.
The panel included NGV director Tony Ellwood.
Mr Parekowhai could not be contacted.
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