13 July 2000

A piece of artwork that covers an area of 11m and is 5m high is to be displayed in Hagley Park for more than three months.

The temporary art installation will be seen at the Art and Industry 2000, a biennial festival of contemporary visual art, which will run from 23 September until 31 December.

This will be the first festival of its kind in New Zealand and will display specially commissioned art works for public spaces.

The piece, called Ziggurat 2000, is by artist Pauline Rhodes, who describes it as "simple, powerful and celebrationary."

The Christchurch City Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee yesterday gave permission Ziggurat to be displayed.

It is constructed of large, Waimakariri River stones encased by galvanised wire gabion baskets. The work relates to the ancient monuments of Mesopotamia, Indonesia, and Africa as well as encompassing the contemporary industrial fabrication and civil engineering processes.

Steps allow the public to climb it. It will be lit at night.

Pauline Rhodes has exhibited many similar art works over more than 10 years. She won the 1987 Olivia Spencer-Bower Award and has acquired other art honours.

A Parks Unit report to the committee said Ziggurat was exciting and would provoke thought and debate on how parks and the natural environment should be used. It would also challenge the perception of parks and the place of art in the landscape.

"Parks Unit staff would like to see more art in open spaces and Ziggurat 2000 will provide an opportunity to gauge public opinion on this," said Parks Unit planner, Suzanne Weld.