Temporary public art

Sentinel

Artist: Tyler Jackson
Dates: Until 18 June
Where: St John’s Lawn, Whairepo Lagoon

Te Whanganui-a-Tara-based artist Tyler Jackson’s Sentinel is a five-metre monolith that comes alive between dusk and dawn in response to the surrounding environment. 

A charred timber cladding contrasts with LED lights inset into the sculpture’s body. These change colour according to an internal computer programme and sensors which detect nearby movements and changes to temperature and humidity, giving the pillar an unnerving omniscience over its surrounds. The luminous beacon continues Jackson’s ongoing exploration into creating lighting devices to engage with participatory approaches of perceiving light and colour.

Tyler Jackson is an artist, curator and founder at play_ station artist run space. He graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Massey University in 2016. Recent exhibitions include AURORA, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, 2022; SENTINEL, Waiheke Sculpture on the Gulf, Auckland, 2022; LIGHT-HAUS, play_station, Wellington, 2020; Modulating Monolith, SCAPE Public Arts Season 2019, Christchurch, 2019, and Waiheke Sculpture on the Gulf, Auckland, 2019.

Read a commissioned essay about Sentinel by Angel C. Fitzgerald (14MB PDF).

For more information visit @tylerjackson.space 

Supported by the Wellington City Council’s Public Art Fund. 

Habitat for Life

Artists: Manju Tomar, Ruth Robertson-Taylor
Where: Miramar Prison Garden, Mount Crawford Prison, 1 Main Road, Maupuia

Artists Manju Tomar and Ruth Robertson-Taylor have been working as resident artists at Miramar Prison Garden creating sculptures from locally sourced cow manure. Their exhibition Habitat for Life features a series of new sculptures designed to be homes for local wildlife. The mysterious and organic artworks have been installed to create a sacred space which celebrates non-human life within the historic site of the gardens.

Instagram: @habitatforlife.nz

YES TOMORROW

Artist: Kate Newby
Dates: Ongoing
Where: above the Terrace Tunnel

Artist Kate Newby has developed an outdoor sculpture for the park above the Terrace Tunnel as part of her solo exhibition YES TOMORROW exhibition at the Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi at Victoria University of Wellington.

The work includes almost 200 half-barrel fired and glazed clay tiles set in a mortar trench to form a line that runs down the mowed-grass slope from the Terrace towards the bush backing on to Salamanca Road. As is typical of her practice, Kate solicited the help of many to create the artwork. She conducted three ‘Touch Clay’ workshops at the Te Whare Hēra Artist Residency, which hosted her during her time in Wellington. For these, volunteers shaped sheets of damp clay over their thighs, waiting for them to dry, a process that took around two hours. The tiles were then fired and glazed using local kilns in Lower Hutt and Berhampore.

The resulting forms are each unique to the leg that gave shape to them, with several showing individual marks, symbols and even signatures added by their makers, listed below.

Rob Duncan Megan Daniel Margaret Lynn Samuel Deb Nico Marilyn Sarah Henry Mieko Kate Ruth Mike Briana Justine Grace Romesh Josefine Madison Nerissa David Nina Gabrielle Dayle Isabelle Ana Lilith Christian Ruby Sophie Millie Michaela Loretta Laura Christina Alison Olly Miriam Fred Lise Hazel Simon Mia Anita Caroline Anna Prak Nadya Alba Xander Flavia Emma Stef Areez Bella Rachel Kirsty Kate Nicola Emerita Tim Megan Ruby Fina Felixe Ella Eva Ben Julian Bena Huhana Max Lily Tina Rose Bill and Teresa.

You can access the park:

• via The Terrace (between numbers 214 and 216)
• via the path on Salamanca Road (between the tennis courts and no 101) 
• down the drive to the right of Club Kelburn on Salamanca Road. Salamanca Road can be accessed either via the Hunter Building carpark or down Mount Street beside the student union building.

Previous projects

View information and images from past projects.