Art from the Spielhaus Morrison Galerie

Art from Berlin - Art from the Spielhaus Morrison Galerie

March 2 - 27, 2004 Opening Tuesday 2 March, 5.30pm

Art from Berlin

We are very excited to be able to bring you an exhibition of contemporary art from Berlin as part of our gallery exchange with the Spielhaus Morrison Galerie in what we believe is a innovative project for a commercial art gallery in New Zealand. Our programme, planned to coincide with the 2004 New Zealand International Arts Festival, will provide a snapshot of contemporary art practice in Berlin with the three featured artists playing with ideas around the construction and deconstruction of images.

Artist Stefan Kübler dissolves and rearranges pictures and their elements utilising hundreds of postcards. Jörg Scheibe works with randomly collected photographic material which is distorted by computer manipulation. The new image is then painted in oil on canvas. The highly acclaimed Norwegian photographer, Mikkel McAlinden, creates composite images from several individual photographs which are "sewn" together on the computer in a meticulous and time-consuming process.

One of the directors of the Spielhaus Morrison Galerie is expatriate New Zealander and well-known tenor Hamish Morrison. Morrison, who has sung with all major New Zealand opera companies, participated in the 2002 Festival opera. Although better known as a singer than a gallerist, Morrison has long had an interest in the visual arts and has been a collector since buying his first art ­ some Ralph Hotere works on paper ­ as a school leaver in 1979. Many works in Morrison¹s private collection are now on loan to public art galleries. Morrison initiated the gallery exchange as a way of enabling German art to be seen here, and New Zealand art to be seen in Berlin. Next year, we will take art from the Bartley Nees Gallery to Berlin. Hamish Morrison and Stefan Kübler will attend the opening.

Introducing our new gallery assistant

Amy Wright, with a Bachelor of Commerce and an Honours degree in Art History, comes to the gallery after two years in the fashion industry. On-going study in the fine arts keeps Amy up to date with the latest in contemporary art practice and we are sure you will enjoy getting to know her.

Next up ­ the art of body adornment ­ new jewellery by Sofia Tekela-Smith

Sofia¹s jewellery has developed a cult following for its beauty, originality, high quality detailing and craftsmanship. Sofia has exhibited widely in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific. Her work was included in the 2002 Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art and was most recently seen in the Auckland Art Gallery show Flaunt which explored the intersection of art with fashion and culture. Last year she had a sell-out solo show at John Leech Gallery in Auckland. Fans of New Zealand craft jewellery should not miss this installation.

Wayne Youle: Pretty Boy

Wayne Youle¹s first solo show received a great review from critic Mark Amery in the Dominion Post 13/02/04. In a very perceptive reading of the work, Amery suggests Youle follows in the footsteps of the more established artists such as Peter Robinson and Michael Parekowhai. "His work is still developing these artist¹s kind of depth, but shares their bold conceptual cheekiness, playfully teasing the viewer with glossy modernist aesthetics, and repeatedly and cleanly hitting fresh yet familiar cultural targets. Consciously playing the cultural prankster, Youle already makes works you gain sustained stimulation from."

paradise now? new zealand art in new york

John Pule, Niki Hastings-McFall and Sofia Tekela-Smith are amongst 15 artists from New Zealand and the Pacific who have work on show in New York. The Asia Society exhibition paradise now?, which opened last week, is the largest exhibition of New Zealand art to be held in New York since Te Maori in 1984. For more information about the show go to: http://www.asiasociety.org/pressroom/rel-paradise_now.html

Photography ­ hot hot hot according to Metro magazine We told you last year about articles we had noticed in international art magazines reporting on the growing popularity of photography in the art market, and the record prices being achieved at auction. In its review of 2003, Metro magazine commented on the same trend here in New Zealand. That is certainly our experience and there has been huge demand for photography in the gallery.

bartley nees gallery artist updates

John Pule has a new volume of poetry. ŒRestless People¹ published by Pohutukawa Press, [P.O.Box 3493, Birkenhead] was launched in Auckland a couple of weeks ago.

Sara Hughes show 'Digital Mosaics', at the Hocken Library in Dunedin has just opened and is on till the 10th of April. Sara has finished her residency in Dunedin and has returned to Auckland. Her work can be in the Auckland in a show at Lopdell house in May and in a group show at here with us in August.

Chiara Corbelletto¹s concept for Auckland¹s CUBE competition has been selected as one of 16 finalists (8 commercial + 8 non-commercial) from over 500 applicants. CUBE, with a $50,000 prize, aims "to target and encourage the use of innovative technology, knowledge and science in the arts and creative sector in the Auckland region." Chiara¹s proposal involves the research and design of a modular system of wall-coverings integrating art and design concepts directly into the built environment.

Neil Pardington is producer of the feature film ŒFor Good¹, now screening throughout the country. The film has been selected for competition in the Paris Film Festival.

Fiona Pardington and her brother Neil Pardington have been selected to participate in the Auckland Art Gallery triennial.

Christopher Braddock will spend the next four months living and working in New York on his Creative New Zealand Visual Arts Residency at the International Studio and Curatorial Programme. He also has a solo exhibition opening at Galerie Romerapotheke in Zurich at the end of April. Chris will be flying to Zurich for the opening.

Judy Millar is back in New Zealand after several months in Berlin ­ we will have new work in stock shortly.

Moana Nepia has a work to be included in the upcoming Pataka exhibition 'Te Aho Mutunga Kore' (The Eternal Thread). This exhibition tours the US and Canada in 2005, and includes examples of traditional Maori weaving as well as more contemporary work. He has also had a 3 metre-long feather painting commission for the University of Auckland's new Population Health building opening soon.

Regards

Alison Bartley, Tim Nees and Amy Wright

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Bartley Nees Gallery
147 Cuba Street, Wellington
Opening hours: Tuesday - Friday 11am - 5.30pm, Saturday 11am - 3pm
Phone: 04 801 9795
Check out our website at http://www.bartleyneesgallery.co.nz/

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