The seemingly unlucky kinetic sculpture by Len Lye named Water Whirler is once again back in action on Wellington’s waterfront.
Contractors used a crane to replace the $300,000 sculpture, a motorised pole which emits water from jets set into its length as it rotates to create patterns, just before 1.30pm today.
Commissioned by the Wellington City Council in 2006, the sculpture was damaged in the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake and then snapped off at the base in 2018 when Hunter Macdonald used it to perform “newfound gymnastic skills”.
At the time, Macdonald said he was heading to the supermarket on his day off when he became distracted by the Water Whirler, leading to the prank.
"I was bored. It was a nice day," he said.
"There wasn't a sign that said don't climb it."
But his antics were not appreciated by the public.
Hunter MacDonald, in an interview filmed by a PR person, says he climbed the Len Lye sculpture because he was "bored".
"I started to perform some of my newfound gymnastics skills and one thing led to another," he said. "It came down hard on my head, like a 20-foot baseball bat...I didn't realise the weight of my mistake until it started to explode on social media."
Macdonald was fined $1000 and ordered to do 150 hours community service for damaging the work.
Repaired and replaced last year, it once again had to be removed in January due to cracks appearing in the main part of the sculpture.
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