Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Committee strongly supports Fanfare
The Christchurch City Council’s Community, Recreation and Culture committee this afternoon strongly supported and agreed to recommend that the Council agree to the installation and ongoing maintenance of Fanfare, when a suitable location is confirmed.

The artwork, by Neil Dawson, was originally commissioned by the City of Sydney for the celebration of the 2005 New Year. In 2007, with the support of Dawson, the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney, Clover Moore, gifted it to the people of Christchurch.

Committee Chair, Yani Johanson, says “It is very positive for the city to have the chance to obtain and install such a significant piece of artwork. It is a wonderful opportunity to have a stunning showcase of creative expression from a world renown local artist.”

The committee also requested a workshop to confirm a suitable location “A workshop will allow us to explore the site options more fully. I believe it is important we give the sculpture the prestige it deserves by spending a bit more time ensuring we have it in the best possible location for the city.”

Like much of Dawson’s work, Fanfare has been created on an impressive scale. The spherical geodesic work weighs 25 tonnes and has 360 separate one metre diameter wind-powered “pinwheels” covering the surface of the structure. It will be lit by coloured lights which will be scheduled to change corresponding with special events in Christchurch’s calendar.

Neil Dawson is a Christchurch sculptor of international standing. His works are located world-wide and include: Ferns, Wellington’s Civic Square, Feather from Afar, Shanghai, China, Raindrops in Manchester, UK and Chalice which continues to stand tall in Christchurch’s Cathedral Square.

The project to re-site the sculpture has been a partnership of the Council’s Public art Advisory Group and Art and Industry Beennial Trust. Council funding would consist of $350,000 from the Council’s Public art Fund and the ongoing maintenance costs.

Ends

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