Jonathan Kay

The proposed large steel kiwi sculpture for Whakatāne has been described in some quarters as laughable and unnecessary.

I have some sympathy with that view. At first glance, it may seem an extravagant use of money (raised privately) for something Whakatāne does not really need.

But perhaps that misses the point of art.

The best public art is not necessarily the prettiest, the safest or the most universally admired.

Sometimes the best art is divisive. It makes people stop, look, laugh, criticise, discuss and, occasionally, think.

If everyone agrees that a piece of public art is wonderful, perhaps it has achieved very little beyond decoration.

Whakatāne is a great place to live, but we should not underestimate the importance of culture and the arts in making a community an enjoyable and interesting place to live.

We need projects that give people something to talk about and, yes, sometimes something to complain about.

So, is the proposed kiwi sculpture necessary? Probably not.

Is it potentially worthwhile? Absolutely.

If it is bold, unusual and gets people talking about Whakatāne, perhaps that is precisely what public art is supposed to do.

And if some of us think it is laughable, that is all the more reason to put it somewhere prominent.

At least we will have something to argue about.