More than 200,000 pieces of recycled plastic confetti make up Nike Savvas' Finale: Bouquet. The sensory kinetic exhibition from the Australian-born artist is the latest permanent edition to Te Papa's Toi Art, where it will be on display until January 12, 2020.
It took six installers precisely 816 hours to arrange the colourful strands as if they have been caught mid explosion. The end result sits eight metres high and over 18 metres long. The seven-colour palette — from mountain lily to kōwhai, mānuka and sun orchid — was inspired by multiple sources, including botanical prints of native New Zealand flora by Sarah Featon (1848–1927).
The new site-specific commission, found in Threshold Gallery on Level 4, invites you to imagine you are immersed in a bouquet of colour and movement. For Nike Savvas, your participation completes the artwork. Exhibition entry is free.
Image: Toi Art, Te Papa.