Work on the new sculpture, All From Water, by Dunedin-based artists Katrina Thomson and Ross Sinclair, has begun.
The sculpture will place 77 steel, powder-coated stars across the dam face, representing the southern constellations found in the sky above, Dunedin City Council engineering project manager Camilla Bennett said.
In the first stage of work, three plinths had been installed beside public walkways in the area.
The plinths would each hold one or two display stars, allowing members of the public to get a close-up view of them.
The display stars were expected to be installed this week, after which attention would turn to the stars on the dam face itself.
Katrina Thomson and Ross Sinclair said the inspiration for their sculpture came from the reflection of the night sky in the reservoir itself.
"We love the stark contrast of the magnificently engineered industrial dam face within the beauty of the Ross Creek reservoir surrounds," Ms Thomson said.
The dam was a large blank canvas and they were grateful for the rare experience of making a public art installation on a grand scale within a natural setting.
It was the first time either had worked on an installation of such scale and they both had had to develop new technical and planning skills.
The artists had also worked closely with Victoria Campbell (Kati Irakehu, Ngai Tahu), whose knowledge of matauraka Maori and astronomy has helped ensure the starscape encompassed mana whenua narratives.
The installation follows a $9million, three-year project to strengthen the dam and provide increased security for the city’s water supply.
The sculpture also represents the pilot project for the city council’s new art and creativity in infrastructure policy.
The expected cost for the artwork is about $120,000.
