Eight years after Neil Dawson's Fanfare (dubbed the disco ball) was suspended from the Sydney Harbour Bridge to celebrate the arrival of the 2005 New Year, it will be reinstalled in Christchurch - that is when the location has been agreed upon. SCAPE Biennale director Deborah McCormick, says it should be sited beside a freeway at the Northern entrance to the city as it requires an expansive space and would create a striking welcome to the city. Dawson also favours the freeway site where he hopes it will "become a celebration and an icon of the dynamic, cultural city we are building," but the Christchurch City Council says other sites should be investigated, including the city centre and the airport.
Fanfare was gifted to Christchurch by the city of Sydney in 2007, but has remained in storage as the search for a site began. "The Council had no idea this gift would be so symbolic," said Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "It feels appropriate that this centerpiece of our celebrations should return to New Zealand to help inspire the people of Christchurch as they rebuild."
Image: Neil Daswon's Fanfare (2004), Sydney Harbour Bridge. Photo: Russell Hoore
