Iconic Judy Darragh artwork Ether installed in Sudima Auckland City Hotel atrium
DMC Director Deborah McCormick with Judy Darragh on site installing her Ether artwork in the atrium of Sudima Auckland City Hotel.
Judy Darragh’s Ether was installed in the atrium of the Sudima Auckland City hotel on 10 July 2025. It occupies a prominent Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland CBD location, on the corner of Nelson and Wellesley Streets.
Sudima Hotels, with DMC Art and UAP, commissioned the celebrated Aotearoa artist to create a New Zealand-first for public sculpture.
At 11 metres in length, Ether is an epic work for the 4.5-star hotel and the first permanent artwork of this type and scale in the country. The sculpture redefines the heart of New Zealand’s largest city with adventurous colour and form.
Image: Judy Darragh, Ether, 2025, Commissioned by Sudima Auckland City Hotel. Curated and produced by DMC. Fabricated by UAP.
About the artist: Judy Darragh
Judy Darragh has long held a significant position in New Zealand art.
Known for her embrace of unconventional materials, found objects and bold colours for her sculptural assemblages, Darragh played a major role in in the development of ARTSPACE, Teststrip, and Cuckoo galleries.
Her works are held in various major collections including Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetū; Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington; Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki; and Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth.
In 2004, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa featured the major retrospective survey of the artist’s work — Judy Darragh: So... you made it?
Her work has featured in the atrium of Auckland Art Gallery on several occasions to great acclaim.
Darragh is truly a doyenne of New Zealand art and a mainstay of Auckland’s vibrant art scene.
Images: Judy Darragh, Ether, 2025, Commissioned by Sudima Auckland City Hotel. Curated and produced by DMC. Fabricated by UAP.
Ether – an iconic piece of art inspired by location
Like a great cloud or galactic nebula expanding to fill its space, Ether takes its inspiration from Sudima Auckland City’s location on the Nelson Street ridge: the spectacular views face westward over the Waitematā Harbour to the Waitakere Ranges, particularly as experienced from Sunset, the hotel’s stunning rooftop bar.
The sense of site-specificity and local relatability are very important to the overall concept. The sculpture’s rich fluorescent palette of yellows, pinks, reds and purples are suggestive of the sunset from one of finest views in Auckland.
Ether is a fantastic enhancement to the city’s urban environment and acts as an important focal point and attraction for the hotel.
“The Sudima Auckland City hotel has an uninterrupted view to the West,” Judy Darragh says. “The view from its Sunset bar on the rooftop during sunset is explosive with colour. I wanted to reference this lightshow in the work Ether, filling the atrium with a riot of hot reds, yellows, and blues. It’s an attempt to capture and contain the fleeting moments of a sunset. Sudima hotel’s atrium entrance sits on a corner and is visible up and down the streets, at night Ether will light up like a beacon in the city.”
No matter how brief a stay, Ether will be a highlight of a visit as a lasting memory for guests to take away with them.
Diners in the hotel’s highly acclaimed restaurant East will be able to catch a glimpse of Ether from the restaurant archway, as will those enjoying a drink or bite in the lobby bar. The public are also welcome to pop in and enjoy viewing this artwork.
The sculpture enjoys high visibility from the street as a counterpoint to the hotel’s striking black and white façade. The form is illuminated to maximise visibility at night and during winter. Hotel guests are welcomed by Ether’s celebration of joyful colour upon arriving at reception.
Ether is the result of a close collaboration between Sudima Hotels, DMC and UAP
This artwork is the first major installation as a result of the ongoing partnership between DMC Art and Urban Art Projects (UAP).
Working together and combining expertise, Sudima Hotels, DMC and UAP have made the seemingly impossible possible in a truly inspirational new art project by one of Auckland and New Zealand’s foremost artists.
Sudima Hotels — a history of supporting and showcasing art works and exhibitions
Sudima Auckland City’s hosting of this remarkable artwork represents the hotel’s ongoing commitment to creativity, community, art and providing a stimulating experience for their guests.
In November 2022, Sudima Auckland City hosted an exhibition of Auckland-based artist Heather Straka’s photographic series, Age of Discovery. The immersive exhibition combined Straka’s sublime theatrical touch and flair for drama with the sumptuousness of a luxury hotel stay, adding a layer of the surreal that encouraged audiences to take a second look.
Bringing art experiences and events into its hotels is one way that Sudima Hotels has been supporting artists over many years. Sudima Hotels incorporates works by local artists into its properties, highlighting New Zealand’s cultural heritage and artistic talent.
Darragh’s playfulness pairs perfectly with Sudima Hotels’ sense of fun and welcome.
“We are proud of this partnership and are really looking forward to seeing people’s responses to the artwork. We want to support local talent wherever possible,” says Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala, Founder and CEO of Sudima Hotels. “We incorporated art into this hotel’s design. The atrium space was designed for an extraordinary piece of art, and we have been waiting for the right artist to partner with. Judy Darragh is a significant artist, and Ether plays wonderfully with colour, light and our elevated location.”
Newest addition to an important public art precinct in Auckland
Ether is an outstanding contribution to an urban neighbourhood already notable for its public civic art, firmly anchoring the Sudima Auckland City hotel as a contributing part of the location and community.
When installed on 10 July 2025, Ether will join two other public artworks in this precinct: the Work No. 2950: WHATEVER sculpture at City Works Depot by internationally recognised artist Martin Creed; and New Zealand artist Sara Hughes’ artwork onto the glass façade of the New Zealand International Convention Centre, the largest integrated public artwork in New Zealand.
