Auckland’s chicken wing statue is flying away
Albany’s iconic chicken wing statue is flying away today for around two months — and when it returns it’ll have a new location to spread its wings.
The statue has some cracking in the creases and peeling on the top coat that needs to be resprayed and recoated.
Massey’s art curator Mark Kaneko said, “It’s in remarkable condition given it’s been on campus since 2014.”
As Quad A and Quad B are in the process of vacating to prepare for leasing, the sculpture needs a new location when it returns.
The statue arrived on campus in 2014 as a celebration for Massey’s 50th anniversary. The choice of a chicken wing honours the lands past as a chicken farm, as well as Massey’s history as the original agriculture college.
Made by New-York based Kiwi artist Reuben Paterson, Kaneko said, “We want to make sure we respect Reuben’s work by keeping it looking good, and we know how much our students and staff love taking photos with it, so we want the sculpture looking its golden glittery best.”
Artist Reuben Paterson, Te Tira Ahu Pae and Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara are working together to find a new location suitable for the statue.