Comments on social media vary from "ridiculous", "piece of junk" to "looks awesome" and "beautiful". But the word most frequently seen is "waste".
The sculpture tells a beautiful story. It depicts and symbolises Te Arawa's eight hapū, the four directions of a compass, the connection between earth and sky and between people and the importance of different cultures in Rotorua.
It is impressive, but it is also impossible to look past the fact the project cost $743,000 - the bulk of that from Rotorua Lakes Council and Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency.
Public art adds value to a place but it will always be controversial.
In 2011, Tauranga City Council announced plans for nine bronze statues depicting Hairy Maclary characters. It was to cost $800,000, collected through crowdsourcing rather than ratepayers' money.
Hairy Maclary sculptures on The Strand were installed in 2015 after being pitched in 2011. Photo / File
Even so, residents were divided and Creative Tauranga struggled to fundraise what was needed.
A $150,000 grant from the Ministry of Economic Development Tourism Facilities Grant Programme and big $100,000 and $70,000 donations, as well as fundraising events, helped and the council also dropped a $150,000 maintenance bond and granted $50,000 towards installation costs.
Then-mayor Stuart Crosby said it seemed the statues would have to be sitting on the waterfront before the critics had any chance of being convinced it had been money well spent.
It's a sentiment which could be applied to the Hemo Sculpture but whether critics will be convinced remains to be seen.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris, built in the 1880s, was initially criticised for its design.
The Eiffel Tower was originally criticised but now welcomes almost 7 million visitors per year. Photo / File
It cost nearly 8 million Francs in 1890 to build. But it was worth it.
