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Story: Sculpture and installation art

'Smirnoff sculpture'

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'Smirnoff sculpture'

Marte Szirmay's 'Smirnoff sculpture' (1969) was the first large abstract work to be commissioned in Auckland. Made from aluminium, a material usually associated with industry and commerce rather than the fine arts, its eight interlocking pieces suggest movement and life, despite the absence of organic forms. It won a sculpture competition to commemorate the centenary of the suburb of Newmarket, and is situated there in a small public square.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by Melanie Lovell-Smith

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How to cite this page

Mark Stocker, Sculpture and installation art – Post-object art and alternatives, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/41972/smirnoff-sculpture (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Mark Stocker, published 24 June 2013.