Creative Wellington seen in visual arts exhibitions
Wellington’s young visual artists are taking the region by storm with two exhibitions by Wellington Institute of
Technology (WelTec) students opening in the next two weeks.
SwellTec, a presentation of works by ten student artists on the Diploma of Visual Arts, opens at The Dowse on October
25.The exhibition gives the public an opportunity to view fresh and experimental works and provides students with the
opportunity to exhibit their works at a renowned gallery very early in their creative careers. Emergency, the end of
year exhibition by WelTec’s Diploma in Visual Arts students, opens at the Petone Campus on November 7 at 5:30pm. An
entire teaching block at the campus is converted into art space with works on display ranging from performance art to
large-scale sculpture, moving image, and installation. Peter Biggs, Head of Creative NZ, is the guest speaker at the
opening and the public are welcome to attend.
Final year student, Shashi Bhushan, is planning to create an interactive video installation where the viewer can
experience time and space in new ways. “The next big discovery in the world of science will be the 4th dimension,” says
Ms Bhushan. “I am interested in exploring what that might mean, through my artwork.”
Another final year student, Alice Tankersley will be doing a performance at the opening that investigates domestic
obsessions and the way we spend large parts of our lives fruitlessly ordering and reordering. “My work has turned into a
performance installation as I am interested in the nature of the things we actually do and how we change the space
around us,” says Ms Tankersley.
WelTec will also offer a degree in visual arts for the first time in 2004. The Bachelor of Visual Arts, a three-year
programme that is currently undergoing final approval, will be the only arts degree in the Wellington region
specialising in visual arts. The degree will be a contemporary interdisciplinary programme that enables graduates to
pursue careers as professional artists or to work in the countries creative industries. It will include artist driven
collaborative projects, live jobs, and work experience.