Rugby World Cup 2011 inspires NZ artworks
15 Aug 2011
True fans believe that rugby is art so it should be no surprise to find that the game has also inspired some significant new art installations for Rugby World Cup 2011.
Along with New Zealand’s rugby greats, Māori culture and the country’s farming heritage have each inspired new works of art that have popped up in prominent locations in Auckland and Wellington.
Visitors arriving at Auckland Airport may spot a flock of brightly coloured supersize sheep in a field near the runway, and rugby fans entering Eden Park will find a collection of carved Māori pou / poles guarding the four corners of the stadium.
Downtown Wellington has just unveiled a giant bronze created by the wizards at Weta Workshop, and an innovative lightbox photographic display is about to go up on central city streets - both celebrating New Zealand’s rugby heritage.
There’s also a magnificent new carved ceremonial waka / Māori canoe in the Wharewaka / canoe house that will be the main rugby fan zone on the Wellington waterfront.
Eden Park carvings
Eden Park’s four wooden tekoteko carvings sit on high stone plinths, standing guard over the four public entrances to the new stadium.
The imposing carvings depict four guardians of the natural world: Tanemahuta - spirit of the forest, Tumatauenga - god of war, Rongo - god of peace, and Tawhirimatea - god of wind.
The tekoteko were carved at Whakatane and Rotorua by a group of carvers headed by Arekatera Maihi, who also designed the pieces. The statues were unveiled on the park’s official opening day in October 2010.
Auckland’s sheepy welcome
Meanwhile, in south Auckland, the shepherds are preparing to pasture a flock of 20 colourful sheep charged with front row welcoming duties.
The fibreglass flock will graze a grassy paddock near Auckland International Airport as a ‘quirky welcome’ for the 95,000 international visitors expected to fly in for the rugby tournament.
Each brightly coloured sheep stands 1.60m tall, measures two metres long and takes several men to move.
The decorations - representing national icons such as the red pohutukawa tree, green kiwifruit, jandals, blue paua shell, and a black singlet - were created by local children.
Haere mai message
School children are also behind a series of welcome signs that will feature prominently on the Auckland landscape during the tournament.
Auckland’s Mission Heights Junior College is amassing jandals - elsewhere known as flip flops or thongs - to complete their giant Haere Mai welcome message that will be partly made out of the iconic down-under summer footwear.
They’re also in the process of creating more than 1700 handmade flax flowers for the sign.
Iconic Kiwi artist
Rugby World Cup 2011 is the inspiration behind a series of limited edition prints created by iconic Kiwi artist Dick Frizzell.
Frizzell - renowned for his pop art style that has immortalised many kitsch kiwiana icons - has created a seven-piece limited edition set based on rugby.
The Frizzell RWC 2011 images will be on show during the tournament at Sale Street - one of Auckland’s favourite inner city bar / restaurants.
Frizzell was commissioned to create the series by RNZ 2011. Only 300 sets of the limited prints were made.
Wellington Weta sculpture
Oscar award-winning Weta Workshop has put its creative magic together to produce Wellington’s newest major artwork.
The massive bronze sculpture - on Jack Ilott Green, near the Civic Centre - was unveiled on Saturday by Weta’s Richard Taylor.
It depicts a rugby line-out, and symbolises Wellington’s geographical position on Cook Strait where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet.
Pilgrimage exhibition
Courtenay Place Park - in the heart of Wellington’s entertainment district - will host a collaborative photographic exhibition by Andy Palmer and David Boyce.
'Pilgrimage' - which will go on show in a series of light boxes - is described as a thoughtful tribute to the national sport.
Palmer’s series of regional rugby fields explores issues such as the environmental impact and cultural phenomena of rugby, and its relationship to patriotism and national identity.
Conceptual artist Boyce looks at how cultural influences can come full circle. Boyce, who lives in China, uses photographs of simple markings on sports grounds to create calligraphic-like images.
Wellington waka
Just in time for Rugby World Cup, Wellington also has a new waka / Māori canoe in residence in the waterfront Wharewaka / canoe house.
The waka named Te Hononga made its maiden voyage across Wellington's waterfront lagoon at dawn on Saturday (15.08.2011).
Carved in Northland from swamp kauri 1000 to 2000 years old, Te Hononga was inspired by an 1843 sketch of Te Aro Pa / Māori village which once occupied the waterfront site.
Te Hononga is the first of two ceremonial waka destined for the NZ$12.5 million waterfront Wharewaka.
A team of three waka builders - working under world-renowned waka expert Hekenukumai Busby - have spent several months working on the canoes.
More information
REAL New Zealand Festival
Rugby World Cup 2011
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