Auckland’s Living Room gets up and running

AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

29 March 2007

Auckland’s Living Room gets up and running

The first two visual and performing art installations from Auckland City Council’s Living Room series will appear in the CBD next week.

Runner and Makeover are the first of eight installations set to appear around the CBD over the next two months as part of the Living Room series.

Living Room is funded by the CBD targeted rate and is one of many projects that form part of a 10-year action plan to enhance the urban environment and support the vitality and attractiveness of the CBD.

Runner by Gaye Jurisich and Makeover by Lauren Lysaght plan to grab the attention of Auckland’s residents and visitors with installations to entertain and evoke a reaction from the viewer.

Gaye Jurisich’s installation, Runner, will be displayed at the Britomart Building and St Kevin’s Arcade on Karangahape Road from 3 April to 30 May. Jurisich uses electrical insulation tape to create ornate patterns across the floor. Runner invites passers-by to take a look at the decorative and complex mosaic and find their own meanings to the patterns.

Jurisich is a Hamilton based artist who has been exhibiting in solo and group exhibitions for over 17 years. She often creates large, imposing art pieces using a wide variety of materials with a common feature of her work being to disguise her ideas below the surface of the visual piece.

“My work looks at the reciprocal experience that takes place between the viewer and the art. Because of the complex design of the piece, people are intrigued and stop to see if they can work out how it has been done. I want people to react to my piece in their own unique way and enjoy finding a meaning of their own,” Jusrisch says.

Makeover is the latest creation from artist Lauren Lysaght who has been exhibiting pieces across New Zealand and abroad for more than 20 years. Makeover aims to create a fun and glamorous twist to an everyday convenience and promote an important message to the public.

“Auckland city is a fantastic, lively place to be. But, as a person who uses the mobility parking spaces, I always felt they were a bit dour and plain. I wanted to add a touch of glamour and create a fun experience for those who use them.

“I also want to raise awareness around the misuse of these spaces, and remind people who do not need to use mobility parking spaces that these are important resources that are essential for people living with a disability to be able to access the city.

“We should celebrate the diverse range of people who live in our city – and what better welcome to the city than a glamorous car park to welcome people living with a disability to the city,” Lysaght says.

Her installations are located at 11 mobility car parks around the central city from 2 April. The work involves the transformation of mobility parking spaces with bright, creative designs.

For more details on the Living Room or the CBD strategy, visit www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/cbd

ENDS

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