Four new sculptures on Te Papa’s forecourt hope to reflect different aspects of Wellington using the location’s shifting light. Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis’ Merging Blocks is the 9th commission in the 18-year history of the Collins Post 4 Plinths Project. Each commissioned artist is awarded $50,000, and their work sits on the plinths outside the museum for two years.
The Wellington Sculpture Trust described Merging Blocks as four large coloured and mirrored glass volumes that injected warmth into the grey bollards and their surroundings. “It is both exciting and beautiful with her [Marcelis] use of colour and reflection giving the work a jewel-like quality,” trust chairperson Sue Elliott said. Marcelis was born in the Netherlands but immigrated with her family to New Zealand when she was 10, before returning to her birthplace at 23. She said the project marked something special for her.
