Peering at this mirrored surface, you might wonder about the story behind Beacon. This award-winning sculpture plays with light. It also uses colour and reflection. Beacon highlights themes of gender equality. It promotes women’s empowerment.
Beacon is a circular sculpture made of polished stainless steel. It symbolizes the historical achievements of the suffrage movement in New Zealand. It also lights the way for women today. Beacon is more than just a pretty sculpture.
During the day, Beacon plays with light and reflections. At night, it transforms with a gentle violet hue. This violet colour was adopted by suffrage petitioners. It represents dignity and self-respect. The sculpture illuminates from dusk until 10pm each night.
Standing 2.5 metres tall, Beacon conveys a message of hope. Large sheets of stainless steel plate are welded together. The craftsmanship ensures invisible seams. The result is a seamless and striking statement.
Kate Sheppard’s words inspired Beacon. She said, “We are tired of having a sphere doled out to us. We are tired of being told that anything outside that sphere is unwomanly. We want to be natural just for a change. We must be ourselves at all risks.”
Lang Ea is the artist behind Beacon. She was pleased to see Beacon lighting up for the first time. The sculpture and lighting were installed before lockdown. The lights were switched on later. This revealed the artwork’s full effect.
Councillor Alf Filipaina says the sculpture delights on all levels. The capital cost of Beacon and its lighting system was covered in Auckland Council budgets pre-COVID-19. The cost of power is part of Auckland’s Parks lighting budget.
Lang Ea says her sculpture reflects the courageous achievements of the suffrage movement. It lights the way for women in the present and future.
Envivo engineering and Global Stainless fabricated the artwork. Global Stainless has experience fabricating large stainless-steel works. They ensure high-quality workmanship. They have made spheres for Anish Kapoor’s sculptures. These sculptures are in South Korea, Singapore, France, and Spain.
Beacon won the Best Design Awards 2020. Judges called it a striking statement with embedded symbolism. It is prominent in the landscape. Its reflective surface blends into the environment. It is a fantastic example of vision executed through fabrication and craftmanship.
Kids will love watching their own reflection in Beacon. Discover Lang Ea’s mirrored surface sculpture all lit in purple at night. Beacon is a symbol of hope, equality, and the enduring spirit of women.