A beloved kinetic sculpture on Wellington's waterfront has suffered another major break, leaving the iconic artwork reduced to little more than a stump. The Water Whirler, created by renowned artist Len Lye, snapped on Thursday afternoon in what appears to be the latest setback for the frequently damaged public art piece.
Wellington City Council officials confirmed that the wand-like motorized sculpture broke without any apparent human involvement. "It appears no person was involved in the breakage," a council spokesperson said. "We'll work to retrieve the broken section and get a fix done as soon as possible, after we've investigated the cause of the break." An RNZ reporter who witnessed the aftermath described the once-graceful kinetic sculpture as having been reduced to a mere stump.
This latest incident marks yet another chapter in the troubled history of the Water Whirler, which has become almost as famous for its frequent breaks as for its artistic merit. The sculpture was most recently repaired in October 2024, just one year ago, after being removed from the waterfront for an extended period of 18 months following a vandalism incident in April 2023.
The pattern of damage to Lye's creation stretches back several years, highlighting the challenges of maintaining kinetic public art in an exposed waterfront environment. In 2018, the sculpture suffered a similar fate when a man climbed onto the artwork, causing it to snap in two. The recurring breaks have raised questions about the durability of the installation and the ongoing costs associated with its maintenance.
City officials have not yet provided a timeline for the latest repairs or disclosed the estimated costs involved. The investigation into what caused this most recent break will likely determine whether additional protective measures need to be implemented to prevent future damage to the artwork, which has become a recognizable landmark along Wellington's scenic waterfront.
