With assistance from Wainwright Stonemasons foreman Donal Hickey, the 20kg powder-coated steel star was placed on a rock cairn overlooking the dam face at the reservoir — where people will be able to examine it up close.
There will be two other display plinths beside public walkways, with the remaining stars to be placed across the dam face in patterns mirroring the southern constellations, in a large-scale sculpture entitled All From Water.
Thompson was excited to have the installation phase of the project under way, and said the stars on the dam face should be placed during January.
"The dam face is a huge blank canvas, it’s the perfect setting for our concept."
The $120,000 project is a pilot for Dunedin City Council’s new Art and Creativity in Infrastructure Policy.
