A city in New Zealand bids farewell to its “disturbing” enormous hand sculpture, which many people grew to adore.

Photo Credit (Greety Images)

For five years, the enormous sculpture of a hand has hovered over Wellington, New Zealand, perched on two fingers on the roof of an art museum.

Australia-based sculptor Ronnie van Hout’s 16-foot (almost 5-meter) work, Quasi, has an unsmiling human face because, well, why not?

Quasi will be taken down from the roof of City Gallery this week after five years of stirring up controversy and a wide range of feelings among citizens of the capital of New Zealand, from disgust and terror to joy.

The gallery announced that it would be moving to a new location.

“There’s not much in between a great day for Wellington and a terrible day for Wellington,” stated Ben McNulty, a member of the Wellington city council.

For his part, McNulty said that the sculpture’s removal left him “devastated.”

Based on scans of van Hout’s hand and face, Quasi is composed of steel, polystyrene, and resin. It was partly named after the bellringer Quasimodo from Victor Hugo’s 1831 book “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.”

As a result, some have assigned Quasi a male gender.

Quasi was controversial when it initially appeared in (or haunted) an art exhibition in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2016. The artwork “must go,” according to an opinion piece in the local newspaper, which also stated that one of its extended fingers “appears to be inappropriately and belligerently pointing at pedestrians and office workers.”

“Maybe all the monster wants is love?” At the time, van Hout replied.

After being erected in Wellington in 2019, Quasi gradually won over the locals.

When he came, I won’t say that everyone in the city detested him, but I estimate that 80% of them thought, ‘What is this monster?’…” “What did we do?” “McNulty said.”

However, he added, “I think there’s been a bit of a softening over time, and there’s sort of a pro-Quasi group, which I consider myself part of.”

Many others in Wellington’s Civic Square, where Quasi’s gallery is located, stated on Wednesday that they had also become fond of him.

According to Anja Porthouse, who had taken friends and relatives to see Quasi and was “gutted” that it was going, “it’s really disturbing but it’s a staple of Wellington now.”

The gallery stated that Quasi will be transported to an undisclosed location in Australia on Saturday after being removed from the roof by helicopter.

Van Hout said “Everything ends eventually.” “I know it will be missed, but even Lovecraftian nightmares must return to their original source, leaving you with nothing to think about but the absence.”

On social media, dozens of people expressed their shock, joy, and laughter at the news, joking about the curse that local legend has attached to Quasi’s release.

According to McNulty, the sculpture has graced Wellington’s skyline throughout “some of its most difficult times.” In recent years, the city has battled political conflict, severe plumbing issues, and buildings that are prone to earthquakes.

Other comments speculated about Quasi’s potential destination.

One New Zealander wrote on X, “He’s going to The Hague.”

Jane Black, the director of the Wellington Sculpture Trust, remarked, “He will be missed.”

Tory Whanau, the mayor of the city, said, “I’ll personally be pleased to see it head somewhere else for a change.” “I believe there is a great sense of relief.”