The 2007–08 exhibition

4 November 2007 – 31 January 2008

The inaugural Stoneleigh Sculpture in the Gardens in 2007 was a significant arts event. After putting a toe in the water with a sculpture exhibition at the Auckland Botanic Gardens in 2005, Auckland Council started to embrace the potential of public art to enhance people’s enjoyment of its parks, to excite their imaginations and express the diverse creative talents of the people of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Already boasting a growing collection of permanent sculptures from artists including Fred Graham, Virginia King, Maui’ Atalanga ‘Ofamo’oni and Richard Mathieson, the Gardens were magically changed by the works, all of which had been carefully considered for their individual settings. Visitors could see the gardens through new eyes and at the same time gain an appreciation of the role art plays in our everyday lives.

The curatorial approach to this exhibition was not to look for any theme or connecting thread between the sculptures – instead the works would respond innovatively to the gardens themselves. The Auckland Botanic Gardens encompasses a great variety of moods and spaces and as a result all the sculptors found sites that suited their vision for their work. For many of the sculptors, a sustaining concept in their work was the importance of conservation and the need to respect the natural world of which we are a part – a worthwhile principle for us all. 

The artists participating in 2007 were: Tanya Ashken, Chiara Corbelletto, Bing Dawe, Paul Dibble, Charlotte Fisher, Fiona Garlick, Fred Graham, David Guerin, Christine Hellyar, John Ioane, Virginia King, Peter Lange, Barry Lett, Samantha Lissette, David McCracken, Neil Miller, Phil Neary, Matt Pine, Terry Stringer, Llew Summers, Marte Szirmay, Jeff Thomson, Filipe Tohi, Greer Twiss, Warren Viscoe, Jim Wheeler, and Steve Woodward.