‘Stavros Kyriakides has been an Island Bay local for 47 years, and is known for his delicately placed stone artworks along the South Coast. He began in 2013, after a storm washed up piles of logs onto the sand. Over the years, he’s moved away from using wood and turned instead to stone, balancing large rocks upon each other which, because of their weight, stand up to the Wellington wind.‘ Stuff 2018
Some in our community love these sculptures, but some in the community do not. Are you someone who likes to admire, or prefers to have them removed?
A documentary was made discussing these sculptures and the community response in to them in 2018:
ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS
A tale of creation and destruction
Stavros Kyriakides, a self-taught environmental artist, creates delicately balanced rock and driftwood sculptures along Wellington’s south coast, complementing the area’s rugged natural beauty in subtle ways.
Though his work has many admirers, Stavros struggles to understand that it is not appreciated by all: an elusive minority of detractors purposely knocks over his sculptures time and again. Battling with a growing sense of frustration Stavros nonetheless persists with his Sisyphean task, and a never-ending game of creation and destruction ensues.
His story, in all its absurd nuances, reflects the plight encountered by all artists creating work in a public space: How much respect does a carefully created piece of work deserve, even if it is non-commissioned? How can an artist deal with hurtful feedback and destruction of their work? Who gets to decide what is and isn’t allowed in a public space? Who defines what is art?
The short film Rock-Paper-Scissors premiered at the 2018 Doc Edge International Documentary Film Festival. An interview with the film makers about the film can be read here: Article on Stuff
View the trailer here: Rock-Paper-Scissors
Island Bay Residents' Association 