'Pounding Pussy'? 'Doggy Lover'?

'Pounding Pussy'? 'Doggy Lover'?

No, we're not talking hard core porn or a survey into the dodgier side of New Zealand film….these are just two of the titles from 'Hey Student!' – the inaugural exhibition of Massey Fine Arts students' time-based film and video works at the Film Archive mediagallery opening on Thursday 20 September.

'Time-Based' is a term used at Massey to cover audio, visual and performance art. Ranging from the wobbly hand-held-camera works prevalent in the age of YouTube (although still utilised to its full potential in some of the works), to a Flash animation about primary school experiences, this exhibition presents a fascinating snapshot of cutting edge contemporary video art being produced in Wellington.

In May this year the Film Archive invited Massey University students to submit film and video work for inclusion in the exhibition titled Hey Student! – recent video from the School of Fine Arts BFA programme, Massey University Wellington.

Submissions were open to students from the Time-Based Art class and third and fourth year Contextual Studio classes with the proviso work must have been completed in the period June 2006–June 2007 making it an up-to-date survey of student work. It's a unique chance to gain insight into New Zealand's next generation of artists working with the moving image."

Curator Mark Williams says, "The exhibition represents both the quality of work, the spread of thought and ideas, and the exceptional diversity of student research up at Massey. There's sex, comedy, gender roles, childhood memories, animation, dance and a work inspired by the video game Tony Hawk Skater as well as a few references to Princess Diana."

Taking its title from a song by underground English superstars The Fall, 'Hey Student!' explores the range of cinematic language and will be presented in various forms. "The exhibition is a great chance to see what goes on up on the hill. It's very much an intersection of art, new media and narrative, and it's a provocation of sorts," explains Williams. "I wanted to challenge the student body with a bit of a 'Hey – show me what you got,' so I'm very pleased with the diversity and quality of the work. It speaks really well of the Massey Fine Arts course."

Exhibition manager and current Massey intern at the Film Archive Gemma Syme (fourth year Fine Arts student) says, "While the exhibition title firmly places this as 'student work', we're certainly not trying to soften the blow of audience scrutiny. I think these works are more than capable of standing outside the comfort of the university and we are hoping to receive some critical feedback to help consolidate our own practices."

"The mediagallery presented an exciting opportunity for students to have their work installed in a well-established space while giving the public a look into the exciting stuff happening up at Massey Fine Arts. It's great for students to see their work in a gallery context, the Massey slogan being 'Context is everything.'"

At the opening the infamous Wellington performance group Trimasterbate will put on a show. Renegade street performers well-known for their legendary stage invasions this team of pumped up community heroes are here to spread the love and make you love yourself! Trimasterbate promise to make you shimmy with their own specialised blend of visuals and music, making your toes tap, your eyes and ears bleed. The performance starts at 6pm.

EXHIBITION DETAILS: Opening Function 5:30pm Thursday 20 September at the Film Archive mediagallery. The exhibition runs until 13 October. FREE With live performance by Trimasterbate www.myspace.com/trimasterbate

ENDS

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