Top 5 finalist

Conceptually, FRAMING TAWHARANUI inscribes a singular line into the landscape; a gesture that reveals rather than imposes. This line is not about dominance but about drawing attention. It helps us perceive the landscape anew, foregrounding what has always been present.

The sculpture consists of eight evenly spaced gateways, each rising 7.5 metres, creating a rhythmic sequence of compression and release. These portals choreograph movement and sightlines, producing framed perspectives that sharpen the viewer’s awareness of the surrounding environment.

A one-metre-wide path threads through the gateways, flanked on both sides by woven screens made of natural fibre rope. A corrugated iron arch forms the canopy overhead, mirroring the New Zealand agricultural setting and contrasts with the soft, tactile rope. The path leads to a cantilevered end point, projecting out over a sloped hillside. Here, the enclosure dissolves, opening entirely to the landscape and offering a dramatic, uninterrupted view of Brick Bay.