Art is the ultimate enricher. But not all art is created equal. It can be stuffy and formal, intimidating, confusing and polarising. But art can also be joyous, uplifting, inspiring, beguiling and food for the soul. Lisa Potter visits Sculptureum.
It is the latter choices that Auckland barrister Anthony Grant and his lawyer wife Sandra focus on. The couple have dedicated decades to collecting and sharing their art.
Their astonishing personal collection has led to the creation of Sculptureum, surely one of the visual wonders of New Zealand. It is thanks to their tenacity that visitors can experience art on a global scale, just five minutes out of Matakana.
Showcasing more than 800 pieces of art, all privately owned by Anthony and Sandra, the Sculptureum experience is a true feast for the senses – for the mind, the eyes and the heart.
Much like works of art that render the viewer speechless, there are no words enormous enough to capture the culmination of what the Sculptureum art gallery and sculpture park offer.
“I created Sculptureum because I think many will find some of the things here interesting and hopefully enriching,” says Anthony.
“It’s wonderful to see how inventive and skilful some people can be. Things that enrich our lives are good and we need more of them.”
The Garden of Creative Diversity
Right: Massive, larger-than-life sculptures are perfectly positioned as part of the landscape
The Sculptureum team recommend beginning your explorations in The Garden of Creative Diversity, where 46 feature pieces are integrated along a kilometre of paths, meandering around a man-built stream and beautifully maintained landscape features and gardens.
Spanning acres of immaculately designed gardens, unexpected delights are dotted around every corner – from a mammoth life size giraffe and whale to delicate bronze sculptures, unusual, shaped rocks and boulders, and panels of quotes designed to spark individual thoughts around art and life.
Anthony has stripped away the pretention, with thought-provoking quotes also placed around the garden walks. His admiration of Steve Jobs is evident, with his words of wisdom displayed on several occasions, along with those of Socrates, Mahatma Ghandi, Aristotle and others.
Also scattered frequently around the grounds are places to sit and ponder the surrounding wonders. Sculptureum is an experience that deserves time to meander and enjoy at your own pace. Allow the best part of a day to soak it all in, for what once was home to a few cattle and sparse trees is now a richly planted landscape of ponds, gardens, treescapes, pathways and the unexpected.
“The idea was originally sparked about 25 years ago because we had to buy two storage units to contain what had become a huge art collection,” shares Sandra.
“Anthony wanted to share his collection, particularly with people who might not be able to travel and see some of this art on the world stage.
“The ideas kept growing and while it grew organically, it was certainly a major undertaking. It’s been an incredible journey to see it evolve from some fields to a full experience.”
The Galleries
The main building houses six gallery rooms, each one bursting with vibrant colour and representing a full spectrum of what defines art.
The Gallery collections are constantly evolving and Anthony’s own artistic sensibilities form part of how the pieces are curated.
In fact, he also invented the word Sculptureum to capture the intent of his project – a combination of the words sculpture and museum.
“When people think of art, they often think of a wooden frame with a boring oil painting in it. For many people, an art gallery is a place where art goes to die.
“I wanted Sculptureum to be as far from this as possible. It was created to show people that there are thousands of different art forms, many of which are dynamic, fun, and thought-provoking, and often made from materials you would never expect.”
Right: A 4m-high rooster
From a portrait of Marlon Brando made from chewing gum (unchewed!) to a multidimensional Steve Jobs crafted from nine layers of metal, to exquisite Dale Chihuly glass art (Chandelier is the most expensive piece in the collection), Sculptureum is a seemingly endless masterclass in the many visual creatives that make up art.
The Galleries at Sculptureum are a celebration of art at its most intriguing – there is a cheeky sense of fun (most likely Anthony’s) in the placement of many of the pieces, and no pressure to be highbrow, even though famous artists appear frequently, alongside Kiwi artists, animal and water sculptures.
Also housed within these walls is the best display of international glass art in the southern hemisphere, figurative works by numerous famous artists (The Little Dancer by Edgar Degas), animal sculptures, pop art (Roy Lichtenstein features prominently), a collection of Alberto Giacometti sculptures (one of his works sold in 2024 for US$141.3 million) and a work, Non-Violence, painted by Sir Paul McCartney.
With new pieces added consistently throughout the year, Anthony also regularly changes the placement of displays, ensuring return visitors are always treated to something fresh.
The Palm Garden
Right: This Polar Bear is made from recycled whiteware by Hamilton artist Marti Wong
Palm trees feature prominently on the grounds and as The Palm Garden evolved, Anthony realised it would be more interesting with art in amongst the plantings.
What he didn’t fully comprehend however was just how costly it would be to buy enough art to fulfil this vision.
“There were many lessons learned along the way,” he admits. “From issues of security to the time and expense involved in designing display structures for the art, and also protecting the outdoor pieces from New Zealand’s harsh ultraviolet light.”
The results were clearly worthwhile, however, and this enchanting space, which is just part of Anthony and Sandra’s legacy, is the very essence of art meeting fun, with more than 80 features along 250 metres of path.
Alongside fountains made by a German artist who specialises in water sculptures, there’s a life-size polar bear made from recycled whiteware, a life-size horse, a sculpture of Mark Twain, a four-metre tall rooster, and the infamous and eye-catching family of pink snails made from recycled plastic.
Future Bound
Right: The charm of animals sees them feature extensively at Sculptureum
While Anthony, Sandra and their team have created a world-class experience at Sculptureum, the path to success was not straightforward and Anthony admits that despite his legal expertise, he had no idea of the difficulties he would encounter.
“One of the reasons why there are no projects like Sculptureum is that the hurdles to create them are so great, and so expensive, that only fools or philanthropists would want to embark on them.”
Clearly Anthony is no fool, and his wholehearted commitment to sharing his passion for art, as well as his private art collection, has created an astounding legacy, and one that he hopes ignites enjoyment for others in the variations of just what art can be.
In terms of the future of Sculptureum, Anthony sums it up succinctly.
“It will hopefully continue to expand in the variety, number and quality of the works displayed. And more areas and facilities are likely to be created.”
