Farewell Flower Chandelier

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Friday 15 November 2013
Nicholas Maw

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Flower Chandelier 2011 by Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa. Photo: Jennifer French


Having enthralled visitors young and old, Choi Jeong Hwa's spectacular Flower Chandelier was deinstalled from the Gallery’s atrium on Monday. The eye-popping work, which was suspended from the ceiling for over two years, features illuminated blooms which periodically open and close. A colleague calculated that the work ‘bloomed’ approximately 4.5 million times!

Flower Chandelier was originally planned as a one-year commission in celebration of the Gallery’s reopening in September 2011, but was extended another 14 months due to the public’s (and staff’s!) love for the work. Over a million visitors have seen the work since then and it has been one of the most photographed works in the Gallery during this time.

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Objects Conservator Annette McKone and Gallery Technician Dave Balcom deinstalling Flower Chandelier. Photo: John McIver

Flower Chandelier has come down for some much-needed maintenance and a well-deserved rest. Meanwhile, planning is under way for a new installation in the atrium space, to be on show from next year.

Image credit:
Choi Jeong Hwa 
Flower Chandelier 2011 
fabric, fibre reinforced plastic, metal, motors, LED 
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, commissioned 2011 
generously supported by Molly Morpeth Canaday Trust