Tripod Sculpture – Tribute to the Wellington Film Industry

Tripod Sculpture pays homage to Wellington’s film and television industry and stands close to the Embassy Theatre, which hosted the world premiere of Peter Jackson’s film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and to the eastern entrance to the Courtenay Place hospitality precinct. It was commissioned in 2005 from Weta Workshop.At first glance, it looks like a towering monster, an object assembled from many disparate parts – a collection of hydraulic pistons and recycled mechanical parts, including old camera reels, a toasted sandwich maker, radio and railway sleepers and with a camera constructed from an engine block with a hairdryer as view-finder. But on close inspection, some 64 Nintendo parts can be spotted, embedded in the three trunk-like legs. This is to symbolise the creative and cobbled-together nature of Wellington’s film industry – or as Sir Richard Taylor of Weta put it: ‘the New Zealand screen industry’s number 8 wire attitude and ability to create with whatever is at hand.’