Yasuaku Igarashi's Sora-ami (Knitting the Sky) made with and for the Kaikōura communtiy as part of Shared Lines:
Kaikōura Arts Festival in 2020. Photo credit, John Lake
A giant collective New Zealand artwork is to be made, with artists from throughout New Zealand being invited to
contribute, to explore and celebrate new ways communities can work together in light of recent Covid19 impacts.
The project Shared Lines: Pūtahitanga is the brainchild of Shared Lines Collaborative (SLC). Shared Lines is an exchange project which emerged out of the
earthquake events that devastated Canterbury, New Zealand, and Fukushima, Japan in 2011. Since then SLC have held
several major festivals and events in Christchurch, Japan, Wellington and Kaikōura.
This work, says Shared Lines producer Linda Lee, aims to strengthen the connections between artists and communities
through New Zealand’s regions and cities at a time when many are feeling isolated and their livelihoods have been under
great stress.
Artists are being asked to register an expression of interest in being commissioned as part of an artwork that will
together resemble an ‘exquisite corpse’ drawing in the tradition of this surrealist practice, where each artist’s small
works sit next to the other. The result will be a 36 metre long ribbon, or braided ‘river’, displayed in public space
and galleries. Shared Lines aim to foster relationships and discussions in and between communities that have experienced
disasters of all kinds around the Pacific Rim.
Artists are used to being adaptable in marginal conditions and are often the first to act after a disaster to help the
healing and contribute to the resilience of a community. Shared Lines: Pūtahitanga is an opportunity for artists in Aotearoa to come together, and collectively reflect on the Covid-19 pandemic and our
recovery.
For more information about the collective and past projects, visit https://www.sharedlines.org.nz/
They are seeking 60 artists to contribute to this project. A full information pack and artist fee will be provided to
successful applicants.
Due date for proposals Thursday 30 July 2020. To apply artists can fill out the google form here.