Image credit: Lonnie Hutchinson, Kahu Matarau, Justice and Emergency Precinct, 121 Tuam Street, 2017, integrated visual art, aluminium wall panels. Photo: Mapihi Martin-Paul (Matapopore).
Council recognises that the right partnerships are key to the development of high quality artwork.
To ensure high quality artworks of excellence that stand the test of time, Council supports public art that is developed with a specific site in mind. This means artwork which is responsive to the particulars of the place, its history, current context, or future uses.
To enable this we encourage developers to engage artists at the earliest stages of the development. Professional artists can contribute significantly as part of the design team. This allows for the artist to work closely with the project team including architects (both built form and landscape) to develop and site the work appropriately.
It also allows for the work to be developed to the appropriate scale (both standalone or integrated) and for any services required to be incorporated in the build process rather than incurring additional costs at the end.
Plonk art (public art which is not commissioned specifically for a site) is not encouraged except in limited circumstances. Occasionally there can be a valid rationale behind the selection of a work not commissioned to reflect and relate to a specific site however this should be carefully considered in discussion with the artist. You may be able to commission a site responsive work for a similar budget.