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City Gallery Wellington Weekly Update

Published: Mon 12 May 2003 05:21 PM
City Gallery Wellington Weekly Update
WEEK: 12 - 18 MAY 2003
OPENING THIS WEEK IN THE MICHAEL HIRSCHFELD GALLERY:
SET UP Wayne Barrar, Ben Cauchi, Jennifer Gillam, Mary Macpherson
15 May-15 June
This group photography exhibition showcases four new bodies of work by Wellington photographers Wayne Barrar, Ben Cauchi, Jennifer Gillam, Mary Macpherson, exploring the concept of staged worlds. Both Jenny Gillam and Ben Cauchi are interested in photography's role in history making. Re-photographing 1940s portraits of ordinary men and women assuming movie star poses, Gillam explores how photography enables people to imagine themselves and, in turn, to be imagined. Ben Cauchi also re-stages the past, constructing and preserving scenarios using 19th century photographic methods. In a series called At Sea Mary Macpherson constructs tiny stage sets out of junk shop maritime paintings, lace and plastic toys, photographing them to evoke the sea as a site for adventure and imagination. This convergence of reality and fiction is continued in Wayne Barrar's photographs of Woomera and Coober Pedy in South Australia, where interiors carved into caves, museum exhibits and landscapes all evoke a strange version of reality.
FUTURE PUBLIC PROGRAMMES EVENTS:
FLOORTALK LUIT BIERINGA - 'MOVING ALONG'
Sunday 25 May, 2pm
A foot journey through Peter Black territory by curator, art historian and former Director of the National Art Gallery, Luit Bieringa.
Keep your eyes open for more information about the new season of exciting public programmes at City Gallery Wellington. To be announced soon...
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS:
MONEY FOR NOTHING
10 May - 29 June 2003
Andy Warhol, KFC and ABBA come together in a fun and quirky exhibition at City Gallery Wellington that explores the relationship between art and money. Opening on 10th May Money for Nothing addresses the concept of value through art from the 1960s to today, and includes works by twenty-one New Zealand and international artists. This is a touring exhibition from Artspace Auckland, curated by Tobias Berger, internationally acclaimed German curator and current director of Artspace.
PETER BLACK - REAL FICTION
23 March - 29 June 2003
Peter Black - Real Fiction, curated by Gregory O'Brien of City Gallery Wellington, comprises nearly 200 images from Peter Black's career, many of which have never been shown publicly before. The images in this exhibition track the artist's career from his first 'street photograph', taken in Brisbane in 1973, to his present 'Streetworks', images taken 'from the hip' while walking along the pavement, mainly in Auckland and Wellington.
The exhibition includes photographs of brass bands, sportspeople, fashion shows, wild-life, Springbok tour protests and religious gatherings alongside scenes of life in Wellington.
The exhibition is accompanied by a 168 page publication, a special issue of the literary journal Sport, which includes 171 photographs by Peter Black as well as essays and poems by 25 leading art writers and poets (including Bill Manhire, Ian Wedde, Gavin Hipkins, Jenny Bornholdt, Dinah Hawken, Jim Barr and Mary Barr, James Brown).
NEW ZEALAND VENICE BIENNALE PROJECT 2001
23 March - 29 June 2003
Peter Robinson: Divine Comedy Jacqueline Fraser: A DEMURE PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST STRIP SEARCHED <>
City Gallery Wellington is the first New Zealand gallery to re-present the New Zealand exhibition shown at the prestigious Venice Biennale 2001. The exhibition showcases details of the site-specific installation work of two of New Zealand's most internationally recognised artists.
Peter Robinson: Divine Comedy has been exhibited in New Zealand since the Venice Biennale 2001, however this is the first time that details of Jacqueline Fraser's installation A DEMURE PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST STRIP SEARCHED <> will have been seen here. Peter Robinson: Divine Comedy is an outcome of Peter Robinson's residency in 2001 at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery as a participant in the Taranaki Artist in Residence Programme, a partnership between the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki, Te Kura Matatini o Taranaki.
This residency was generously supported by Creative New Zealand, Toi Aotearoa.
The work from this exhibition formed the basis of Peter Robinson's installation in the exhibition Bipolar. Bipolar represented New Zealand at the Venice Biennale in 2001 and was an initiative of Creative New Zealand, Toi Aotearoa.
Jacqueline Fraser: A DEMURE PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST STRIP SEARCHED <> courtesy of Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.
SIMRYN GILL: A SMALL TOWN AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY
15 March - 29 June 2003
A Small Town at the Turn of the Century is the first solo show of Australian artist Simryn Gill's work in New Zealand. This exhibition of large cibachrome photographs continues the artist's interest in exploring the contested relationship between nature and culture. In these works she revisits her old home town of Port Dickson in Malaysia, and renders familiar scenarios strange through her humorous interventions.
GUIDED TOURS:
Free Public Exhibition Tours Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays, 1pm
Come along to City Gallery Wellington for a dynamic and accessible 30-40 minute tour - a great introduction to the exhibitions currently on at the City Gallery. No bookings required. Meet in the gallery foyer.
Free Visitor Groups & Community Education Tours - Book Now!
Bring your social or community group, your family and friends (6+ people) to City Gallery Wellington and enjoy a free 30-40 minute tour around the exhibitions.
Bookings are essential, contact Tracey Monastra T: 04 801 4241 or email tracey.monastra@wcc.govt.nz
CITY GALLERY WELLINGTON
Open Daily 10am - 5pm For information on exhibitions or events phone (04) 801 3952 or visit www.city-gallery.org.nz
Principal Events Sponsor Montana Wines Ltd. City Gallery Wellington is managed by the Wellington Museums Trust with major funding support from the Wellington City Council.

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