Influential panel curate exhibition celebrating Chch artists

Influential panel curate new CoCA exhibition that celebrates Christchurch artists

A panel of influential Christchurch-based art figures have collaborated to develop a new exhibition at Christchurch’s Centre of Contemporary Art’s (CoCA Toi Moroki) that celebrates a range of innovative art being created by local artists in the region.

Contemporary Christchurch is a survey exhibition of contemporary art made or located in Ōtautahi in the past three years. It is the first in a two-part series that will examine local contemporary art practice and its strong connections to the city and the region. It runs from 20 August to 6 November 2016 and is free to attend.

Paula Orrell, Director and Principal Curator of CoCA, says that the kaupapa of this exhibition is about the effect of the locality on the artist’s practice in different ways.

“People in Christchurch have such a strong connection with their city. This exhibition really looks at how artwork developed in this city is connected to the locality, and the strong roots that are formed by a place,” says Orrell.

The panel of curators, writers and artists who put together the free exhibition is made up of Orrell along with Jaime Hanton, Director, The Physics Room; Aaron Kriesler, Head of the Ilam School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury; Nathan Pohio, Artist and Curator (Kāti Mamoe, Ngāi Tahu and Waitaha) and Dr Lara Strongman, Senior Curator, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetu.

They were invited by CoCA to select a group of artists to provide a snapshot of contemporary practice connected to the Canterbury Waitaha region. They looked for works that engaged in a variety of ways with the local situation, and which deserved further critical analysis.

While some projects might be familiar to audiences in the region, they also wanted to provide opportunities to view reconfigured works and make new discoveries about what has happened in or with relation to Christchurch over the last three years. Six years after the beginning of the Canterbury earthquake sequence, as the city rebuilds and develops a new post-quake identity, it’s a rich and dynamic moment in the local art scene.

Although the panel are all curators, in this instance their role was to select the artists rather than develop the exhibition project. The panel very much look forward to experiencing the final exhibition alongside the artists, colleagues and the wider community.

The artists featured in the exhibition are Nina Oberg Humphries, Steve Carr, Emma Fitts, Scott Flanagan, Jackie Greenbank, Rob Hood, Ana Iti, James Oram, Louise Palmer, Pauline Rhodes, Tim Veling, Tjalling De Vries and Daegan Wells.

A lively accompanying programme of public events will focus on young people and the city’s emerging artists showcasing what’s exciting in music, dance, theatre, design and architecture.

Contemporary Christchurch is funded by the Chartwell Trust and runs from 20 August to 6 November 2016 and is free to attend.

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