An iconic kinetic sculpture on Wellington's waterfront has broken once again, leaving the beloved artwork reduced to a mere stump just one year after extensive repairs were completed. The Water Whirler, a distinctive wand-like motorized sculpture created by renowned artist Len Lye, snapped on Thursday afternoon, marking yet another setback for the troubled public art installation.
Wellington City Council officials confirmed the latest damage to the sculpture, emphasizing that the breakage appeared to be accidental rather than the result of deliberate vandalism. "It appears no person was involved in the breakage," a council spokesperson stated. "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." A reporter from RNZ who witnessed the aftermath described the once-graceful sculpture as having been reduced to little more than a stump, with a lone seagull standing guard over the damaged remains.
This latest incident continues a troubling pattern of damage to the Water Whirler, which has become something of a symbol of both Wellington's artistic ambitions and the challenges of maintaining public art installations. The sculpture was most recently repaired in October 2024, following an 18-month removal period that began after a vandalism incident in April 2023. During that extended absence from the waterfront, the artwork underwent comprehensive restoration work before being reinstalled.
The Water Whirler's history of damage extends back several years, with previous incidents highlighting both accidental damage and deliberate vandalism. In 2018, the sculpture suffered significant damage when a man climbed onto the artwork, causing it to snap in two. More recently, in 2023, vandal Hunter Macdonald caused another break in the sculpture, though he later issued a public apology to the city of Wellington for his actions.
City officials now face the familiar challenge of investigating the cause of this latest break while working to restore the sculpture once again. The repeated damage to Len Lye's creation has raised questions about the durability of kinetic public art installations in high-traffic waterfront locations, where they must withstand both natural elements and human interaction. The council has indicated that they will conduct a thorough investigation into what caused the sculpture to fail before proceeding with repairs, suggesting they may be looking for ways to prevent future incidents.
