Locals colour their city as Whangarei awaits referendum

While the Whangarei District Council prepares for a referendum to decide the fate of the old Harbour Board building, residents have been getting down to the serious business of 'Hundertwassing’' their letterboxes, shopfronts, trees and even motorbikes.

The colourful creations popping up around Whangarei are proving a popular, visual form of ‘artivism’ and a way to show support for a proposal to build the equally colourful art centre Hundertwasser designed for Whangarei's Town Basin.

The Hundertwasser Wairau Maori Art Centre is one of three binding referendum options for the building, including either demolition or a maritime museum.

The ‘HFlash’
movement gathered momentum after the now infamous ‘bollard’ incident late last year, when Town Basin gallery owners received international coverage after decorating the posts outside their shop and then rapidly repainting them dull dark green after the Council complained.

Dozens of residents have since hflashed
their own property, with letterboxes being the favourite medium for an expressive bout of colourful support. Proud locals post images of their creations to the Whangarei Loves Hundertwasser Facebook page, where over 3000 ‘likers’ offer congratulations and commentary.

“ It’s exciting and fun and so good for our city. And there’s so much more to come”, say Pam Tothill of Prosper Northland Trust (PNT), the communityled organisation behind the art centre proposal.

“We’re hearing about new artworks all the time. We’re so thrilled about the level of enthusiasm! We’re working with other groups to bring Whangarei the inaugural Colour Our City event. It’s a way to bring everyone in our community together and to celebrate our creative sector not just visual arts, but music, performance, culture, schools, youth groups and more.”

PNT trustee Jenny Hill sees firsthand
the effect of the Hflash
creations. “That yarn
bombed tree outside our Hundertwasser HQ popup shop makes so many people smile. People hug it, kids play with the tassels. It’s become a tourist drawcard we see lots of people having their photo taken with it. Hflashing is all about connection, fun and colour.”

Some of the more unusual creations todate have been a banner made out of alpaca felt, a plastered gate, yarn outfits for local trees, a recycled wearableartoutfit and even a motorbike.

In the past week bigger installations have been appearing, including large murals created by local artists Carolyn Radford and Sherryle Bennett.

Parua Baybased
artist Sherryle says “Great projects require great calculated risk and strong people who are able to think outside the square… my artwork is a small way in which I can contribute and demonstrate my support for the HWMAC… which I believe will benefit our city economically, educationally and inspirationally.”

Artist Carolyn from Tutukaka says “In my mind this is a new beginning for Whangarei. The building will be a National Treasure… the very last building from Hundertwasser, (an) internationally revered Artist.”

Art centre supporters are quick to point out that the ‘colour our city’ community movement is exactly the sort of vibrant and positive initiative that will come of building Hundertwasser’s vision for Whangarei, a city more often making national news headlines for negative stories.

Born in Austria, Hundertwasser immigrated to Northland and became a New Zealand citizen in the 1970s. In 1993 he drew a plan to convert the Whangarei’s old Harbour Board building into an art centre, but the building could not be bought at the time and the plan languished.

The building is now Councilowned
and in 2014 the WDC called for submissions on it’s future. The May/June postal referendum will give residents a chance to choose between the Hundertwasser Wairau Maori Art Centre, the Harbourside proposal or demolition. The upfront cost of the two building options is similar but the Deloitte have forecast that the Hundertwasser art centre will quickly become profitable while the Harbourside project will require a minimum annual injection of $400,000 per year.

Deloitte forecast the Hundertwasser art centre will contribute $3 million in increased wealth to Northland each year. Their updated feasibility study predicts “T he building itself will be an artwork on a grand scale and will immediately become one of New Zealand’s few iconic buildings.”

Hundertwasser died in 2000. His vision for Whangarei is yet to be realised, but his foresight is easily recognised and topical today, as shown by this story recounted by artist Sherryle Bennett: “I vividly remember him arriving in Auckland 30 years ago, pictured in the NZ Herald.

He was standing in his baggy trousers, arms outstretched, down at the Auckland Harbour waterfront, questioning what on earth Auckland was thinking, by allowing a port to dominate the harbour and challenging Auckland City Council to develop the natural ‘gift’ that they have on their doorstep.”

The Colour Our City parade and celebration will be held in Whangarei on Saturday 9th May 2015.

The Whangarei District Council binding public referendum will start when voting information and postal ballot papers are sent to all Whangarei residents and ratepayer on the Whangarei electoral roll on May 14th. Final referendum results will be known early June.

ENDS

© Scoop Media