I’m a local artist and I’ve created a work that I think would be awesome in a public space. I’d really like the Council to make this happen. What next?
Okay, hold up. There are a few questions that we’ll need to ask before we know where this could possibly land. First up, are you going to remain the owner?
Hmmm. What exactly do you mean by ‘remaining the owner?’
Well, it means that you are either wanting to gift your work to the council – and the public – or you are wanting to have it displayed but for it to remain a work in which you retain the ownership. If it’s the latter, then it might just be a case of you wanting to find a public space that you could show your work in. It’s not quite that easy.
Let’s say I have a sculpture that I think would be great in Cathedral Square.
Well, there are a few things to consider with public spaces like this. When you’re looking at public space overall, there are spaces that are ‘owned’ by different entities. You have space that is owned and managed by entities like Council and then you have privately owned space. Often what looks like public space is actually owned by private companies, these can be areas like laneways, arcades or courtyards. So first you have to work out whether you’re looking at putting your work in an area that is private or public. If it’s private space, then the best idea is to approach the owners of that space and have a conversation with them.
What about murals? Does the same thing apply?
Yes. Often muralists will approach private companies about painting the space – even though it’s in public, it’s still on a private building. With murals, you don’t need Council permission if it’s on a private building.
What about somewhere like city mall – I have a work that would be a good fit for that space.
Yes, that’s council space. So the next question is: what is the work? What’s required to install it? will it impede movement of people or vehicles? Is it waterproof? Does it present any risk to the public? Will it need regular maintenance or security?
Having work in public places requires quite a lot of thinking about possible scenarios.
Public spaces can be quite complex sites with pedestrians, cars, buses, trams, events and businesses. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be impossible to install an artwork there, but it does mean there will be quite a lot of questions that need to be run through.
Ok, that’s sounding difficult – so what if I just gift you a painting?
We do have a gifting policy and if you are gifting a work to us – our guidelines say if we accept it we will determine where it goes.
Obviously we would like to have that conversation with you as we go along, but ultimately if it’s a gift then we decide whether, where, or when it will be displayed.
Do you accept every gift?
No. Whether we accept something is determined by a number of things. What is the provenance of the work? Does it have a story with resonance? What is the material finish? There are a lot of things we consider before accepting a work. We also look at whether a work is designed to be installed temporarily or permanently – that will also help determine whether we accept it.
But isn’t it better just to have a lot of artworks around the city?
It’s great to have art around but permanent art needs consideration. Including identifying who it’s for and what the cost of it will be across its lifetime.
Alright, what about those electrical boxes that I see on the street. What’s the deal with painting them?
There’s actually a lot of hardware throughout the city and you will have seen that many of them are being painted. The difficulty is, that they don’t all belong to one owner. Council owns some, the electricity providers own some and sometimes they’re the property of telcos. So first things first – contact the Council Graffiti Team (who are responsible for painting the council owned ones) and they will check to see who owns the box. If it’s Council, you can talk to us about getting this done, but if it’s another owner, then you’ll need to talk to them directly.
So what about if I have an idea that isn’t for a major public space but is intended to be something meaningful for my own community. Can I just go ahead and do it?
It depends. If it’s a temporary and removable and doesn’t impact on any kind of infrastructure or egress or private property rights, then there may not be an issue with that – we saw a lot of that with the earthquakes – love hearts; flowers in cones and paste ups – but if it is going to require fixtures – then it’s a similar process to what’s described above. Basically, come to us with an idea, we will run through some questions, and then it might be a matter of taking the suggestion to the community board.
Does the community board then have the last say?
They can make a recommendation. Depending on what it is or whether there’s a cost to council then that needs to be taken into consideration, but often community boards do get a say.
Do I have to be an established artist for you to consider my work in a public place?
Not necessarily, but we do need to understand your capability in making the work. Obviously the value of it, the location of it, life expectation, those sorts of things are taken into consideration. It is fair to say, however that we do make assessments on the artist’s credentials and experience in delivering these projects.
What if I wanted to submit a design for a particular festival – what’s the process?
For events like Matariki or Tīrama Mai, we will either approach artists directly or we will put out a limited invitation. Sometimes we will open the process to everyone that might be interested. Those three approaches are the most typical.
Alright. What should I bring to you if I want you to consider my work?
The story of the work itself. Sketches, any thoughts on location, and support from the community. It’s really important that if you’re telling a local Māori story that you have sought mana whenua support from the get go.
Shouldn’t my art just speak for itself?
In a public space it might have to. If you want us to install it and support it in the public realm you will have to give us details. One of the things to remember at the beginning of any conversation regarding the possibility of having a piece in public is to brace yourself that these things take considerable time and effort. These things don’t happen quickly.