Auckland’s waterfront will once again become an open-air gallery as large-scale sculptures appear throughout the Viaduct Harbour district from 10 April to 3 May 2026.
Returning for its second year, the trail has expanded significantly in scale – growing from nine sculptures in 2025 to twenty-four works by eighteen artists – FREE and open to all!
The Sculpture Trail runs alongside Aotearoa Art Fair, extending the Fair beyond the Viaduct Harbour Events Centre and embedding it within Auckland’s waterfront.
In association with Auckland Live, proudly supported by Auckland Council Events and the city centre targeted rate.
Check out some of our top picks below!
Sculptures by...
Gregor Kregar
Cumulus Structure (2026) | At Water in front of Te Mata Topaki
A vast sculptural form made of fragmented stainless‑steel panels, its shape defined by complex mathematical geometry. After dark, shifting neon light washes the surface in colours drawn from the sunset, subtly transforming the work as night falls.
Suspended above the water like a drifting cloud, its reflective skin mirrors the harbour and city around it, linking the natural and urban landscapes in one luminous presence.
T-Rex Reflection (2026) | At Waitemata Plaza
Well-practised in the art of re-contextualisation, Kregar has experimented often with dinosaur forms, and in T-Rex Reflection, he transforms the once-feared creature into a small, metallic pet with a big personality. This playful reimagining of the T-Rex blends the ferocious with the familiar, creating a striking contrast between the ancient and the domestic.
Sneak a peek
Curious about what Gregor has in store for you? We had the chance to step inside his studio and capture some behind‑the‑scenes moments. From early concepts to the materials he selects, the scales he experiments with, and the forms he brings to life, these images offer a glimpse into the creative world behind his work.
Working with the idea of a cloud, the Cumulus Structure is formed from thousands of laser‑cut pentagons and hexagons, bolted together to create modular shapes that gently move and sway with the water. Anchored by mooring lines, the sculpture drifts across the sea for six weeks, its form shifting subtly with each tide. Neon lighting is woven throughout the piece, adding unexpected bursts of colour that transform the installation after dark into something striking and otherworldly.
Hye Rim Lee
Gold Rose | At the Esther Lobby in QT Hotel
In this work, Lee uses glass — a material tied to her digital practice — to explore its dual nature: hard yet fragile, liquid yet solid, transparent yet opaque. Through this shimmering paradox, the material expresses transformation, desire, and devotion. The Gold Rose emerges as a radiant monument.
Its golden surface scatters light like sunlit petals, evoking a timeless garden where beauty and memory intertwine. The sculpture seems to breathe an invisible fragrance of grace and longing, inviting viewers to imagine eternal love blooming in glass and gold.
Dr Sione Faletau
Lalava ki he Uho, Connected to the Essence (2026) | At Karanga Plaza
Inspired by the Waitematā Harbour, Sione Faletau recorded its sounds and translated their frequencies into kupesi patterns. Formed through intersecting lines, the sculpture resembles a DNA strand, symbolising the harbour’s life‑giving essence. Lalava—meaning “to bind”—connects sound, place, and identity into a site‑specific expression of the harbour’s mauri. The sculptures can be activated by the wind.
Reuben Paterson
Koro (2023) | At Corner of Bivacco promenade
Named for Paterson’s grandfather Jack and great‑grandfather John, Koro embodies whakapapa. The work reflects the interdependence of natural materials, urban evolution, and the passage of time.
Using sand, shells, and light, Paterson traces his connection to the black volcanic sands of Piha, honours his grandfather, and highlights sand’s role as a foundational material in modern cities. The sculpture reveals the complex, shifting relationship between people and the natural world.
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