Marking ten extraordinary years of one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most iconic cultural landmarks, NPDC’s Len Lye Centre in Ngāmotu New Plymouth will premiere a groundbreaking new commission on Saturday 30 August.

The ‘sonification’ of its shimmering steel and concrete structure into a new musical work will be performed by players from the NZ Symphony Orchestra—Te Tira Pūoro o Aotearoa.

A Score for the Len Lye Centre, by Swedish Albanian Australian artist and composer Mia Salsjö will be performed in the gallery, free to the public, by musicians from the NZSO with principal conductor Hamish McKeich.

The striking new work is both a response to the materiality of the building, and a tribute to leading twentieth-century artist Len Lye, whose legacy the centre was built to honour.

Salsjö translated architectural plans from Pattersons Associates into one thousand graphic scores through a personalised and intricate codified system. Her research also drew on material from the Len Lye Foundation Archive, transforming Lye’s experimental sketches and kinetic sculptures into sonic figures. Orchestrated for a 13-piece string ensemble, the work includes a synthesizer to perform recordings Lye made of his sculptures in the 1960s—realising his intention for these samples to be used by the composers of the future.

Three free performances on August 30 headline the centre’s 10th anniversary programme, which includes a full day of free public events for whānau. The commission belongs to an evolving performance programme as part Direct Bodily Empathy —Sensing Sound a major two-part exhibition curated by Anna Briers to celebrate the occasion.

“A Score for the Len Lye Centre encapsulates the past, present and future of the Len Lye Centre—showcasing bold creativity and artistic innovation,” says Dr Zara Stanhope, Ringatohu Director of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre. “Mia’s work is a dynamic way to celebrate this extraordinary building and mark its anniversary.”

Salsjö’s process has drawn global acclaim, and she is known for transposing significant international landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge into an orchestral composition as part of ‘The National, Australian Art Now’ at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), in 2023.

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Chief Executive Marc Feldman adds: “We’re excited to join with the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre for this significant project. By bringing together two nationally beloved institutions in music and art for a daring new commission we are creating a new future for both our organisations. Our performance within the Len Lye Centre itself will add a powerful resonance to the project —it’s more than a concert; it’s a conversation with the artwork and the building, a dialogue that I hope will be on-going.”

Free public performances of A Score for the Len Lye Centre occur on Saturday 30 August at 11am, 1pm and 2.30pm.

The score will be recorded at the internationally renowned studio Park Road Post Production with the NZSO, before being installed as a sound installation for listeners to experience in the gallery from 6 September 2025 to 16 March 2026.

All anniversary events are free to the public. For full programme details, visit govettbrewster.com.

FAST FACTS

• The Len Lye centre was opened in June 2015.
• Designed by Patterson Architects, its $13.5 million construction cost was raised from corporate, private philanthropy, and central government donors.
• The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery opened in 1970, funded by a bequest from local woman Monica Brewster (nee Govett).
• Around 85,000 people visit the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre each year.
• The gallery presents a regularly changing programme of contemporary art exhibitions, events and conversations.
• Regular education and learning programmes are offered to visitors of all ages.
• It also runs an art and design store, independent cinema, and publishes a range of art books

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