Wanted Artwork for the Gardens

Step up for public art in Christchurch!

The seemingly infinite staircase sculpture Diminish and Ascend by David McCracken, presented by SCAPE Public Art, is a much-loved meeting point, picnic spot, place to ponder and avian playground in Kiosk Lake within the Botanic Gardens of Christchurch.

Originally designed to be a temporary showcase along the Public Art Walkway for the SCAPE Season 2016 festival in Christchurch, it has risen to become a favourite of locals and visitors alike.

In late 2018, an announcement was made by the Christchurch City Council that the sculpture would become permanent for Christchurch.

SCAPE Public Art is fundraising to keep it as a permanent piece of beauty, inspiration and optical illusion for locals and visitors to the Garden City.

The campaign target is $20,000 to enable us to make the improvements required for this to become permanent in our city. We have raised a lot already thanks to the Friends of the Botanic Gardens and several other supporting partners.

One step at a time, we are asking for your help - if you can spare some change or contribute something more, we would be so grateful. Any amount from $5 to $1,000+ will help escalate our dreams to have Diminish and Ascend stand tall here in Christchurch.

Step by step, a little goes a long way! We'll be tracking milestones every step of the way and will let you know as we reach each step, representing a $1,000 milestone, until we ascend to our target of $20,000.

Individuals who can drop spare coins into a donation bucket, staff groups who can form a consortium donation together, schools that can put on mufti days or companies who may be able to offer even more generosity - everyone who donates will literally be 'buying the stairway to heaven' for Christchurch.

There are so many ways to be involved, and we'll keep you updated as we step closer to the target.

Every single person who donates will be acknowledged on the SCAPE website and with a special letter of thanks, so everyone knows you made a difference.

Donors who support this project will receive a donation receipt for tax purposes, allowing you to claim up to 33.3% back in your annual tax return.

Thank you for being with us every step of the way!

A little more about the sculpture:

The vertiginous Diminish and Ascend sits beautifully and thoughtfully within its surroundings in Kiosk Lake at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. It rises up from the lake forming a seemingly infinite staircase ascending and disappearing into the surrounding tree canopy. Clever use of scale and perspective see the width taper off and step depth become smaller and smaller until reaching a single point at the top.