The Collin Post 4 Plinths Project

The Wellington Sculpture Trust is seeking proposals for the eleventh commission in its prestigious Collin Post 4 Plinths Project — a series of temporary sculptural installations sited on four concrete plinths on the harbour-side boundary of Te Papa Tongarewa's forecourt, one of the most visited public spaces in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The selected artist or artist-led collaboration will receive $100,000 to fabricate and install four artworks — one per plinth — with installation scheduled for February 2028, in time for the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts. The commission covers all costs including fabrication, transport, installation, lighting, insurance, artist's fee, and removal of the works by late January 2030. Importantly, the artworks remain the property of the artist, who may sell or dispose of them after decommissioning.

The site

Each plinth is a two-metre concrete cube clad in bluestone tiles, spaced approximately 4,400–4,450mm apart. Each has a load-bearing capacity of around five tonnes, bolt fixing points on top, and existing light fittings powering two lights per plinth. There is no height restriction for vertical attachments, though all proposals are subject to Wellington City Council approval. The site is exposed to Wellington's famously harsh weather — gale-force winds, salt spray, intense sunlight, and heavy rain — so durability and weatherproofing are essential considerations.

The process

First-round proposals are due by 6 July 2026 and must be submitted as a single PDF (max 10MB) to wellingtonsculpture@xtra.co.nz, accompanied by a $50 entry fee (which includes one year's membership to the Wellington Sculpture Trust). Between one and three finalists will be invited to develop detailed proposals, and each finalist will receive $3,000 for their second-round submission. The selected artist will be notified by end of October 2026, with a contract to be finalised by January 2027.

The Trust may also select a second proposal for installation in the 2030–2032 period.

Your submission should include:

• A concept statement (max 500 words) outlining your approach to the work and the site
• A provisional budget demonstrating how the $100,000 will be allocated across four sculptures
• Visual representations of the proposed works, ideally rendered on-site
• A CV with exhibition history and relevant experience
• Five images of previous works or exhibitions

Previous commissions in this series include works by Regan Gentry, Glen Hayward, Kereama Taepa, Ruth Watson, Yolunda Hickman, Ben Pearce, and Sabine Marcelis — a strong lineage that speaks to the quality and ambition of the project.

For more information visit sculpture.org.nz or email wellingtonsculpture@xtra.co.nz.