Earth from Above Opens in Lake Wanaka

Earth from Above Opens in Lake Wanaka

Globally renowned outdoor photographic exhibition, Earth from Above, was launched last night in Lake Wanaka. Hosting the exhibition is a privilege normally reserved for cities such as Singapore, London and Melbourne. Lake Wanaka is the smallest destination on its world tour and the only one where the exhibition is set against a scenic lake and mountain backdrop rather than the usual cityscape.

Actor Sam Neill declared the exhibition officially open, saying it takes our breath away and reminds us what an extraordinarily beautiful planet we live on. He went on to say it takes someone with outstanding intellect, a positive outlook and the true soul of an artist to produce such photographs.

“It also reminds us of how beautiful some of man’s works on this planet are.
Places that reflect harmony, social cohesion and are at one with the natural environment. But there is also a dark side. These photos are a reminder that the planet is under dreadful threat and there is one statistic that is fascinating. There are two great challenges for man and if we don’t fix it we’re [done for]. We have to address the issues with the biosphere – global warming is a fact, there is such a thing as climate change. The second is the terrible inequality that exists between rich and poor in the world. The statistic is that to fix both these things, all we need to do is put 10% of the money spent on defence around the world over 10 years towards them.”

Fellow guest speaker, Tahu Potiki of Te Runango o Ngai Tahu, said Earth from Above was a taonga (jewel) of an exhibition and likened it to haroa o te kahu (gaze of a hawk).

Festival of Colour director, Philip Tremewan also likened the exhibition to a jewel saying, “As the night sky darkened and the exhibition lights came on, each photograph glowed like a jewel in the dark.”

The exhibition is expected to attract an audience in the hundreds of thousands. Over two thousand saw it in its construction phase even before it opened to the public today. Those who had already seen the exhibition in cities such as Buenos Aires and Montreal agreed the Lake Wanaka backdrop was second to none.

Earth from Above, an aerial portrait of our planet towards a sustainable development, is one of the most effective mouthpieces on educating us about sustainability and man's impact on the environment. The visually stunning, large-scale images are a report on the state of the planet, revealing the human footprint made in the name of progress. Photographer, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, invites the viewer to think about the changes on the planet: is there a way to answer the needs of the present without compromising the capacity of future generations to answer theirs?

Earth from Above opened to the public today (9 March) and will run for seven weeks, culminating with the end of the Southern Lakes Festival of Colour on 29 April. The exhibition is free of charge and is open 24 hours a day. For further information, visit www.festivalofcolour.co.nz.

ENDS

9-Mar-07

This exhibition is brought to the Lake Wanaka waterfront by Aspiring Arts and Culture Trust, Festival of Colour, Lake Wanaka Tourism, Natural History Film-Making and Communication University of Otago, Sustainable Wanaka, Upper Clutha Community Arts Council, Upper Clutha Environmental Society, Wanaka Arts Society

Earth from Above is produced in New Zealand by the New Zealand International Arts Festival with the patronage of UNESCO and with the generous support of FujiFilm, Air France, Eurocopter and the Institut Géographique National-France. The exhibition in Wanaka is sponsored by Infinity Investment Group, Locations Realty and Lake Wanaka Tourism, Lake Wanaka i-SITE Visitor Information. Supported by Central Lakes Trust, Community Trust of Otago and Real Art Charitable Trust.

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