Weta's 10 Latest Public Art Articles

Whales Tohora exhibition

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:31:18 +1300

2008

The 3D department worked on a very unique project when the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa asked us to scan a one-off Whale's skull for an upcoming exhibition devoted to the species.

For this project, the 3D team scanned a real whale's skull and jaw, and printed the 3D render to display in the exhibition. This was the first time the museum have had a digital scan of the whale skull.

The reason it was scanned and not moulded was because it is the only known skull of this particular breed of whale, a rare species called the Spade Toothed Whale, and scanning was the safest way to treat such a valuable artefact.

The scanner used was a Farrow CMM co-ordinate. We printed the jaw on our Invision Printer, and had the Wellington University of Victoria prints the remainder of the skull on their Eden Objet machine.

The skull was then assembled and painted at Weta Workshop, so it looked just like the original skull, and was on display at Te Papa's Whales Tohorā exhibition in 2008.

Models of skull and lower jaw of spade-toothed whale Mesoplodon traversii.
Original skull from University of Auckland, MacGregor Collection, collected White Island, New Zealand, 1950s.
Original jaw and teeth from the holotype, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, collected Pitt Island, New Zealand, 1872.

Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:40:02 +1300

2006

In 2006, the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre opened to the public with mannequins and props made by Weta Workshop.

The museum hosts the world's biggest private collection of World War I aircrafts. The face moulds of the mannequins were taken from staff at the Workshop and many of the mannequins are so lifelike it is hard to tell them apart from real people. The replica WWI uniforms were custom made by our Costuming department.

A painstaking amount of work has gone into the project, and the museum building has been a decade in the making. More than 20 original replica planes are on show. The museum is expected to be a huge drawcard for the region.

"This is just a fantastic new attraction which will bring local visitors, New Zealand visitors and international visitors", said Allan Scott from Destination Marlborough.

It is hoped historians and those interested in the events surrounding WWI will attend, as well as attracting people with limited knowledge of the event and a passion for aviation.

For more information, log onto www.omaka.org.nz

Golden Compass

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:56:09 +1300

2006

Weta Workshop produced two life size statues of Lyra on Iorek from the first volume of Phillip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials'. These were made for New Line and the lovely people at Scholastic to display at the 2006 Licensing Show in New York.

This story has now been made into a film, titled 'The Golden Compass', starring Nicole Kidman.

Be sure to check out our Image Gallery, where you can see behind the scenes pictures.

Rocky Horror Picture Show Sculpture

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:38:09 +1300

2004

Weta Workshop has recently created a larger-than-life size bronze statue of Richard O'Brien, the creator of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and a one time resident of the rural farming city of Hamilton, New Zealand. The statue was unveiled to great fanfare in the City of Hamilton, and Richard O'Brien, who joined the festivities on the night, got on stage and sang for the crowd.

Screen Production Industry Tribute

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:47:36 +1300

2005

Weta Workshop was commissioned by Wellington City Council to design and manufacture a public art sculpture as a tribute to the New Zealand Screen Production Industry.

Four designs were short-listed and the final design was manufactured in the workshop over 2005. The finished sculpture was installed on the corner of Courtenay Place and Cambridge Terrace, in the heart of Wellington's entertainment district, in November, 2005 and was formally unveiled by her worship Kerry Prendegast, Mayor of Wellington later that month.

The tribute is a film camera on a tripod that appears to be composed from a collection of recycled mechanical parts including a video game console, toasted sandwich maker, radio and railway sleepers, with the camera made from an engine block and a hairdryer for the view finder.

Described by Richard Taylor as an out-of-control giant robot running amok in the city of Wellington, he says it symbolises the ingenuity and unbounded imagination that the New Zealand screen industry thrives on. "We wanted to pay tribute to the New Zealand screen industry's number 8 wire attitude and ability to create with whatever is at hand,".

Mayor Prendergast describes Tripod as an audacious attention seeker. "It stops people in their tracks; you can't fail to notice it", she says. "It's a unique, creative, modern piece that's already got people talking. Tripod is also a fantastic example of local ingenuity and creativity. Weta's passion, energy and enthusiasm is clearly evident in this work. Tripod will, I am sure, become a much-loved and much-admired Wellington icon and another jewel in the city's ever burgeoning crown. The film industry plays a vital role in the economy of our region and this is a very fitting tribute to it."

Dyslexia Discovery Exhibit

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:54:55 +1300

Dyslexia is often referred to as the hidden disability. Hidden because it is not physical, a disability because it so often presents itself in the form of learning difficulties.

The Dyslexia Discovery Exhibit is an outdoor gallery experience open to the public, located in Christchurch, New Zealand. The primary motivation behind the creation of the Dyslexia Discovery Exhibit is to confront this reality, challenge the views that create this reality, and offer a seed of hope that may grow in power to shift mindsets and remove the shame that so often surrounds dyslexia.

The gallery provides knowledge, inspiration and encouragement for all dyslexics by showcasing the artistic, engineering, creative and business achievements of four leading picture thinkers, one of which was Richard Taylor.

The Weta team have created a number of elements for the Exhibit. Central to the story is a bronze sculpture, titled "Inner Struggle" and a plasma-cut steel ribbon of words that float through the air adding a whimsical feature.

Sammie Johnston, the daughter of Office Manager Tracey Morgan, was the model for the piece. The exhibit is a world first created in collaboration with Weta Workshop, Mackenzie Thorpe, Ron Davis, the Britten family, and Paul Dibble.

It is hoped that by telling the stories of four gifted individuals the exhibit will demonstrate the ability of the dyslexic mind and offer an alternative view to those that are engaged in the struggle, either directly, or as parents, caregivers, teachers and friends.

Wellington Zoo Memorial Plaque

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:58:53 +1300

2006

Weta has enjoyed a long relationship with the Wellington Zoo spanning over 20 years. Richard first started visiting in 1985, to paint and draw the animals. Richard and Peter Jackson later called on the Zoo to film scenes from one of Peter's first feature films, Braindead. Peter later returned to sample animal noises for King Kong. After the King Kong shoot wrapped up, some of the Weta team offered to help out with the Zoo's 'Ape Week'.

Earlier this year, Wellington Zoo approached Weta to create an installation to mark both the opening of the new chimp facility and also as a tribute to long serving Keeper Frank Coles, who has recently retired after serving in the position for 52 years. Frank has enjoyed a special relationship with the chimps and as a new home is built for the animals, it seemed appropriate to mark his leaving with a special plaque.

'We are lucky to have Weta as a really good friend, they seem to have a real love for what we do here at the Zoo', explains the Zoo's Marketing Manager Beth Houston.

The current chimp night quarters have been the home of chimpanzees at Wellington Zoo since the first chimps arrived in 1956. The chimps lived in the indoor block until an outdoor park was opened in 1991. The new chimp block has a large indoor area which provides a warm environment for the animals in the colder months. The new block has a day room, two night quarters, two hospital wards as well as fantastic views across Wellington city.