On Tuesday afternoon, the Whakatipu’s newest public artwork, Interlude, was unveiled near Kelvin Heights’ Jardine Park, as part of a New Zealand-wide, 1000-year bench project, Paererewa, that was launched last year.
Designed by London-based architecture studio Nebbia Works and carved from South Island bluestone by a local stonemason, it’s the fourth piece in Paererewā, which aims to place 1000 similar objects all over the country in the coming years — half are reserved for tangata whenua, local authorities and sites of national importance.
The Queenstown installation’s been formed by local engagement, and includes a special tribute to the late Sir Eion Edgar, whose family has been huge supporters of the project.
The prominent businessman and philanthropist, who died in June, 2021, aged 76, wore many hats, including as the founding patron of the Queenstown Trails Trust and co-founder of the Arts Foundation Te Tumu.
Interlude, placed in a spot with sweeping views across Lake Whakatipu towards the Remarkables, forms part of the Kelvin Heights Sculpture Trail — alongside the sculpture, which invites two people to sit face-to-face, is a bronze plaque, engraved with Sir Eion’s favourite greeting: "Another day in paradise."
The project’s been fully funded by local trusts and supported by an endowment for long-term care, ensuring it remains a public asset for generations to come.
"The stone might last a thousand years," the architects say.
"The stories it sets in motion might last considerably longer."
