Wind Sculpture opened for viewing

I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Māori, Cook Island Māori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.   Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the evening (Sign)
I then specifically greet you: Tim Lusk, Chief Executive of Meridian Energy; Neil Plimmer, Chairperson of the Wellington Sculpture Trust; Phil Dadson, wind sculpture artist and New Zealand Arts Laureate; Ian McKinnon, Deputy Mayor of Wellington; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is with pleasure that my wife Susan and I have accepted the invitation to join everybody here in celebrating the completion of the final Meridian Wellington wind sculpture – particularly as I am the Patron of the Wellington Sculpture Trust; which is an organisation that has contributed greatly to making Wellington a centre for public art.

I would like to speak about the sculpture and the significance of the overall Meridian Energy Wind Sculpture Walkway Project.

Wellington’s infamous wind has, for many decades, been the focus of jokes up and down the country. For example, the author, Keith Ovenden, wrote in his 1984 novel Ratatui describing Wellington’s weather in the following terms: “There were few hats and no umbrellas. The old hands of Wellington knew such defences useless against the remorseless wind.”

There is a good amount of truth in that statement – where on a particularly windy day umbrellas can be found turned inside out and discarded in rubbish bins around the city.

However, those who have laughed at Wellington’s expense over the years must now be doing so on the other side of their faces as they observe what “windy Wellington” has made of its best-known characteristic.

Wellington now uses its wind to power the city, and is carving a reputation that few other capital cities can boast. It is also using its wind to provide the motivating power for a collection of wind-powered public art that is unique in the world.

The Meridian Wellington Wind Sculpture Project has taken shape over the last decade, bringing together the talents of artists and engineers to create the Wind Sculpture Walk along Cobham Drive.

The first of the series, featured at the Wellington International Airport end of Cobham Drive, as Pacific Grass by artist Kon Dimopoulos. The second is Phil Price’s Zephyrometer featured at the Hataitai end. The third wind sculpture, Andrew Drummond’s Tower of Light can be seen in the middle of these two, as can the fourth, Leon Van den Eijkel’s Urban Forest.

The fifth sculpture, by artist Phil Dadson, is the final element in the Meridian Wind Sculpture Walkway.

I have gone with Susan this afternoon and seen that this wind sculpture consists of ten poles; two of which are located in the water of Evans Bay, six ascending up the land and the final two being located on the inland side of Cobham Drive.

Sitting on top of the poles are cones which I understand to be technologically advanced pieces of equipment that act as a wind sock, displaying the wind direction and also swivel, and become illuminated at night. However the most distinguishing feature is the sound that is made as wind passes through the cone – and our car’s occupants lowered windows to experience this also.

The sculpture is aptly named in Māori as Akau Tangi, which in English translates to be “the sighing sounds of the wind”.

Phil Dadson, the artist behind this sculpture, is someone with whom I share a connection, in that we both appeared on the Queen’s Birthday weekend List in 2005.

It is fitting to offer congratulations to Phil for his outstanding contribution to the Meridian Wind Sculpture Walk and, more widely, his contributions to the arts in New Zealand.

On a more personal note, Susan and I are regular viewers of the wind sculptures, given that the role of Governor-General involves a significant amount of travel along Cobham Drive, to and from the Wellington airport. Accordingly we are looking forward to enjoying from this evening Akau Tangi on our travels.

I cannot think of a better way to tell visitors a story about Wellington as they head into the city from the airport. This collection of sculptures speaks eloquently not only about Wellington’s weather, but about its spirit, its dynamism and its creativity.

George Selwyn was the first Anglican Bishop of New Zealand and spoke on the New Zealand climate in a book titled Hand-book for Intending Emigrants to the Southern Settlements of New Zealand and said: “[N]o one can speak of the healthfulness of New Zealand till he has been ventilated by the restless breezes of Port Nicholson…where active habits of industry and enterprise are evidently favoured by the elastic tone and perpetual motion of the atmosphere.”

In that sense, Meridian, the Wellington City Council and the Wellington Sculpture Trust can take enormous pride in what they have created through this project.

And on that note of congratulation I will close in New Zealand’s first language Māori, by offering everyone greetings and wishing you all good health and fortitude in your endeavours.    No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.

It is with pleasure that I announce the fifth and final wind sculpture, Akau Tangi, officially opening for viewing and declare the Meridian Wind Sculpture Walk complete.