Auckland Art Gallery flooded by record rainfall, artworks relocated

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in New Zealand faced significant flooding after certain regions received eight times the typical January rainfall. Storms on Friday night caused groundwater levels to rise, impacting the basement store, photography lab, workshop, and conservation lab, inundating approximately 500-700 square meters with three to five centimeters of water. Director Kirsten Lacy informed the New Zealand Herald that staff initially moved a few vulnerable paintings and works on paper but had to evacuate as conditions deteriorated and electrical hazards emerged. On Saturday, eighty crates of artworks were shifted to upper levels to mitigate humidity damage, with intentions to open and catalogue them. Lacy assured that none of the gallery's 15,000 pieces were lost. The gallery, already undergoing roof repairs, had its temporary fixes withstand the deluge. After remaining closed over the weekend, it reopened on Monday with the water cleared, although additional heavy rain is anticipated later in the week. The flooding coincided with extensive property damage, mudslides, and four fatalities attributed to the storms.