New Zealanders either heartbroken or relieved to wave goodbye to Quasi the giant hand
'Interesting art should be polarizing, and there's never been a piece quite as polarizing,' says councillor
The people of Wellington, New Zealand, are either mourning or celebrating the loss of Quasi, a five-metre-tall sculpture of a hand with a human face.
Standing confidently on two fingers atop the roof of an art gallery, the captivating creature has stood watch over the city for five years.
But now the time has come for him to return from whence he came — Australia.
"Interesting art should be polarizing, and there's never been a piece quite as polarizing in our city as Quasi," city councillor Ben McNulty told As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal.
"I certainly consider myself one of his defenders, and I think his presence will be missed in our city."
'Perhaps the monster just wants to be loved?'
Originally commissioned by the Christchurch Art Gallery in 2016, Quasi is the work of Australian artist Ronnie van Hout, and is based on the artist's own hand and face, which, by all accounts, are separate entities of average size.
He's named after Quasimodo, the socially ostracized bell-ringer in Victor Hugo's 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.
When he was on display in Christchurch, a local newspaper ran an opinion piece outlining 10 reasons Quasi "must go," including that one of his fingers "appears to be inappropriately and belligerently pointing at pedestrians and office workers."'
"Perhaps the monster just wants to be loved?" van Hout responded at the time.
He arrived in Wellington in 2019, as a joint project with Wellington Sculpture Trust and City Gallery Wellington, which has installed several temporary art installations around the city over the years.
"But I think he punches above his weight," McNulty said.
'A strong sense of relief'
Just like in Christchurch, Quasi's arrival in Wellington was divisive to say the least.
"There was maybe a small group of people that loved him, and everyone else really hated him," McNulty said.
Some New Zealanders think he looks like U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, McNulty said, which only added to the statue's divisive nature.
But over time, he says, many residents have come to embrace Quasi.
"It's really disturbing, but it's a staple of Wellington now," said Anja Porthouse, who has brought friends and family to see Quasi and says she's "gutted" by his departure.
Jane Black, who heads the Wellington Sculpture Trust, called Quasi "a great cheerleader for Wellington's creativity."
"He will be missed and leaves a Quasi-shaped hole on our civic skyline," she said in a press release.
Others, however, are happy to watch him go.
"I'll personally be pleased to see it head somewhere else for a change," Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau said. "I think there's a strong feeling of relief."
'Everything comes to an end eventually'
It's not clear where exactly Quasi is heading next.
"He's going to The Hague," wrote one New Zealander on X.
The City Gallery, which hosted him, says the statue will be airlifted by helicopter on Saturday and flown to an undisclosed location in Australia. The gallery, meanwhile, is closing temporarily for earthquake-proofing renovations.
"Everything comes to an end eventually," van Hout said. "I am sure it will be missed, but even Lovecraftian nightmares have to return to where they came from, and now you only have an absence to reflect on."
McNulty expects Quasi's fans send him off in style this weekend. His advice for the next city that hosts Quasi?
"Embrace him," he said. "He's such an interesting point of conversation. And if you hate him, hate him with a passion. And if you love him, love him with a passion."
With files from The Associated Press. Interview with Ben McNulty produced by Leslie Amminson
