Hamilton gets a Michael Parekowhai sculpture

The Hamilton philanthropic arts group MESH celebrated a milestone this week with the arrival on site of its latest piece – The Tongue of the Dog created by sculptor Michael Parekowhai.

The $700,000 artwork which will be located next to the Waikato Museum will be nearly three storeys high when installed. The piece has been constructed in Auckland over the past eight months but the arrival of the work signalled the key part of the installation process, which involves the construction of a large pool and water pump system to supply the water feature built into the sculpture to create the “Tongue of the Dog” effect.

Auckland is still waiting for work to start on the installation of Parekowhai’s Lighthouse/State House work on Queen's Wharf in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour, which has been paid for by real estate agency Barfoot & Thompson and anonymous donors. The work is apparently scheduled for installation in the middle of the year.

Tongue of the Dog is a giant enlargement of a stack of Cuisenaire rods, an educational system originally used to teach young children relationships between numbers. Many New Zealand students will have learnt the basics of maths using this system.

More recently Cuisenaire rods have been used in the teaching of languages, including teaching te reo Maori, in an immersion style of learning that stands in direct contrast to a grammar based, academic approach to language.

The sculpture plays with concepts about learning and comprehension as well as the way we create and structure ideas.

MESH chairwoman Nancy Caiger has been looking forward to the arrival of the sculpture.  “This work represents two hard years of planning and fundraising.  It will probably become a symbol for Hamilton and the CBD’s defining artwork. It will provide the added benefit of acting as a marker for visitors to engage with the museum and the developing river precinct.”

Treasurer Stuart Anderson says there has been a lot of effort from many people to make the project. He says they are humbled by the support they have received in creating the work.  “Over the past two years, we’ve seen Hamiltonians embrace philanthropy. The tremendous work we’ve also seen from groups such as the One Victoria Trust and TOTI, which have been so positive for our city, is helping Hamilton become a really creative city.  To be able to see our city’s history recreated in a variety of ways makes me proud to be involved with MESH and proud to be a Hamiltonian.”

The installation work is being undertaken by a local firm, Construct, with assistance from local engineering firm Holmes Consulting Group. Construct Director Graeme Parlane is also enthusiastic about the project “We’ve really enjoyed being involved in all three MESH works – it’s given our team at Construct something a bit different from our normal work. The crew really enjoys seeing these artworks become reality and it feels great to be involved in projects that really give back to our city.”

Nancy Caiger sees the new piece as an important statement about the future of Hamilton. “We now have two iconic artworks bordering the CBD.  At the northern end we have the Farming Family, generously donated to the city 26 years ago by Sir Robert Jones. It talks about the original industry that helped shape our city. Now, at the southern end, we have Tongue of the Dog, which represents the new Hamilton and the exciting future we have ahead. It represents the modern change our city is going through and the increased importance other industries such as technology and education have in our city as well as reconnecting us to our roots through telling the Maori legend of the Waikato River – a story that needs to be told.  It really is a new sculpture for a new era for Hamilton.”

Tongue of the Dog has been funded by donations received from more than 70 different donors with major contributions from The Perry Foundation, the University of Waikato, The Caiger Charitable Trust and Jon & Sue Tanner.

The trust has already provided other sculptures including Te Waharoa ki te Ao Maarama by Lonnie Hutchinson and Seung Yol Oh’s Beat Connection.