MEDIA RELEASE: For immediate release
Christchurch Arts Festival and The Press present
@ First contact
Pacifica Arts and Music bring the TV ONE WinterGarden to life
Arresting imagery will walk hand in hand with nostalgic ‘poly-funk’ at the TV ONE WinterGarden- the hub of this year’s
Festival season.
Renowned NZ Artist Michael Tuffery has been specially commissioned to create a magnificent outdoor sculpture of a giant
falé pod for the 2007 Christchurch Arts Festival. Towering to an incredible 5.5 metres height and stretching across 16
metres Tuffery uses this sculpture as a giant screen for his new multi media work titled @ First Contact. Joined by a
talented team featuring VJ Mike Busy and DJ Anton Carter, Tuffery’s work combines archival footage inspired by Captain
Cook’s voyages and live coverage from performances from happening both inside and outside the TelstraClear Club.
Inside the TelstraClear Club NZ artists Ardijah take the stage for the opening festival event. Remembered for their
brand of funk and R with Polynesian elements such as wooden drums and the ukulele, Ardijah and scored a top three hit in 1988 with ‘Watchin
U’. The soundtrack to @ First Contact combines Ardijah’s Betty Anne archival footage and highlighted performances
outside the club.
Tuffery’s exploration of Cook’s Voyages is represented live outside with the extraordinary voices of the Cook Island
Community and their ‘Imenetuki’ Choir and drums, joined again by the Island Summer guitar orchestra led by Pos Mavaega -
bringing the old and new music of the Pacific interspersed with Tuffery’s imagery, onto the Fale Pod. Traditional and
modern dance come in the form of break dancing crew Common Ground who will set alight Cathedral Square and the pod with
their fiery Hip Hop. Existing footage has also been collated from various sources including the British Museum, Museum
of Natural History and Kew Gardens.
Tuffery’s previous work has featured in Christchurch before, with 2005’s Big Fish and 2003’s Island in the Sun both
exhibited at the Centre of Contemporary Art. The North Island has been fortunate enough in 2002 to view both Mata Mata
and a selection of his work at the Recent Contemporary Acquisitions showcase.
For more info and downloadable high res images visit the news and media section of the website www.artsfestival.co.nz
ENDS