98. The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and Len Lye Centre

Exploring New Zealand’s vibrant street art, quirky museums, cutting-edge architecture and more is one of the best ways to uncover the stories of the nation: here is No. 98 of our 101 Reasons To Stop Dreaming About New Zealand And Go.

If the stunning snowy peak of Mt Taranaki in the North Island/Te Ika-a-Māui wasn’t inspiration enough to visit New Plymouth, the provincial centre also has the impressive Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and Len Lye Centre to lure you in. Both a long-standing contemporary art gallery and an architectural homage to New Zealand’s best-known modernist filmmaker and kinetic artist Len Lye, the iconic building is a must-visit.

Govett-Brewster Art Gallery.

Opened in 2015, the building’s striking extension of curved stainless steel and concrete has become one of the country’s most photographed architectural forms, turning up in the pages of The New York Times, Vogue China and more. In architect Andrew Patterson’s own words, it engages with the environment through a façade that both reflects and transmits light, producing a holographic effect. In plain speak, the Len Lye Centre, the country’s only dedicated single-artist gallery, is nothing short of thrilling.

Drop in to see an ever-changing roster of exhibitions featuring works by contemporary artists from across the Pacific region, and by its namesake artist in the Len Lye Centre. The 45-minute museum tour will introduce you to the gallery and centre, while the museum curator tour delves deeper into the artworks and Len Lye’s career; you’ll need to book this two weeks in advance.

Visit the impressive Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth.

You can also tour the gallery and centre with Art Travel, specialists in small group, art-focused tours. Art Travel guide Glen Armstrong suggests visitors to New Plymouth also wander down to the waterfront to see Len Lye’s 48-metre outdoor kinetic sculpture, Wind Wand, which tilts in the wind. “Len Lye was a visionary whose art practice took in sculpture, experimental film, painting and drawing. We love visiting New Plymouth because of the Len Lye Centre, the story of the artist and for the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery itself. It’s one of New Zealand’s smaller, yet vitally important, internationally recognised regional galleries. Get there if you can.”

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