Fanfare
New Zealand's largest public sculpture, Fanfare, 2004/15 by Neil Dawson is a permanent landmark which can be seen standing tall over the Canterbury Plains at Chaney's Corner.
Fanfare has progressed through an extraordinary journey over the past 10 years to find its home in Christchurch, the birth city of its notable sculptor, Neil Dawson, CNZM.
This visionary six-storey-high sphere (20 metres in diameter and weighing 25 tonnes) is covered in 1.5 metre steel pinwheel fans and can be illuminated in a spectrum of colours at night.
Originally commissioned in 2004, it was suspended from the Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the New Year in 2005. It was donated to Christchurch by the City of Sydney in 2007. Christchurch City Council, SCAPE Public Art and Neil Dawson have worked together to install Fanfare at Christchurch's northern entrance.
At this time, when Christchurch has lost many of its landmarks, Fanfare plays an important role in creating a dynamic entranceway to the city, and will add a vibrant new identity to the Christchurch cityscape.
FANFARE (2015)
The Fanfare (2015) publication written by Rosa Shiels is now available through our shop
ROSA SHIELS
Rosa, a writer and editor, has worked in magazine and newspaper publishing for some 40 years. Also a singer, Rosa left Christchurch in 1971 to tour Australasia with the cast of rock musical HAIR. She then lived in Sydney for 20 years, working in music and at various publications, including Condé Nast’s stable of Vogue magazines.
Rosa has recorded two albums and written four non-fiction books, including the SCAPE-commissioned Fanfare (2015), on the 10-year genesis of sculptor Neil Dawson’s monumental sphere of the same name.