While we are sad to see The Maui Dynasty: The Fifth Goodman Suter Contemporary Art Project dismantled and individual pieces dispatched to all corners of the country, we are pleased to announce that one of these art works has not been sent home!

The Goodman Suter Contemporary Art Project (GSCAP) is supported by Sir Patrick and Lady Goodman and provides funds for developing a major exhibition and catalogue, and purchasing an art work for The Suter’s collection. This has ‘bonus’ allows The Suter to keep a permanent record of an exhibition and, over the years, the GSCAP acqusitions have kept the collection sharp and fresh.

We are therefore, pleased to announce the acquisition of Niki Hastings-McFall’s work The Long White Cloud. This sculptural installation of nineteen freestanding standard lamps covered with white fabric and plastic hibiscus flowers was made especially for The Maui Dynasty and was a much discussed work in the show. For the first time in the history of the GSCAP, we asked visitors, education classes, Suter Friends and art colleagues to identify which work they thought we should buy and The Long White Cloud came out tops.

Despite this consensus, there were many different reasons why people liked this work so much. Some were intrigued by the message that Pacific Islanders were the first people to discover New Zealand, not (as we commonly think) the Maori (who only became Maori in Aotearoa New Zealand). Others had very fond recollections of their own standard lamps and the work brought back memories from their childhood. This had a flip side however, as one person used to make standard lamps in a factory and couldn’t overcome those memories look at this work ‘as art’ (!). Others were simply attracted to the textures, subtle colours and overall impression of the work.

The Long White Cloud was also mentioned as a favourite work in the comments sheet by the following visitors: M. & T M.R. of the U.K., Paula Roberts Spears of Salisbury, U.K., Inge Lennie of Scotland, Kate Parker of Manchester, U.K., Eve of North Wales, Caitlin Kenderdine of Dunedin, Kozoe Takahashi of Coromandel, Ellie of Christchurch, Luck and Alana Scott of Auckland, Rose, Anna, Tom, Oma and Jenny, Shannon, Nicola Jane Rudge and Eugenie Connolly of Nelson and Natalie C (for whom “the lamps made me crave pavlova and cream, yum … mmmmm”).