Presenting Urban Dreams - A Two Month Wellington Celebration

Presenting Urban Dreams - Te Wāhi o Te Papa Whakāta, - an eight week celebration of moving image, a beacon of light, telling stories, sharing a moment, and promoting Aotearoa’s incredible artists.

Running in Wellington from Wednesday June 22nd until Aug 14th, located in the window of the revolving creative pop up space at 106 Courtenay Place (Readings Cinema complex)

Urban Dreams has worked with artist/curators Tanya Ruka and Ollie Hutton to offer moving image artists a chance to share their work with the public of Pōneke, asking them to submit work promoting themes of Te Ao Māori and Te Taiao. Curated with principles of manaakitanga, wairuatanga, whanaungatanga and kotahitanga, the screen will be a light in the window for weary storytellers and seekers on a cold winter’s night.

Curator, Ollie Hutton, reiterated the importance of projects like Urban Dreams on our city's streets.

“We need more campfires built with aroha and creativity - fostering humanity and conversation. Especially as the months get darker and the community spirit in the city starts to wane!”

The public will get to experience and enjoy the offerings of exciting, emerging artists and their unique artworks. As well, learn to appreciate the stories being told by the artists and enable their own reflection of the themes. Over the course of the eight weeks, eight stunning moving image works will be shown as a part of Urban Dreams. Six incredible NZ artists have had their work selected, alongside a work each from the talented Tanya & Ollie. Each moving image work will be shown for a 5 day period, Wednesdays to Sundays and will play daily on loop from 4pm-11pm.

The eight works selected represent varied interpretations of our themes in story, techniques and visuals. From Mana tipua tuku iho ~ TRANSCESTOR by Louis Neale, a self exploration of identity through whakapapa, purakau and te taiao; to Kate Woods Non-sites using 60’s and 70’s Land Art to explore our complex experience of Te Taiao in cities,. Deliberately slow and meditative work like Denise Batchelors Slowly to the more fast paced and multi layered Wai Whakaika by Jamie Berry.

With the simple use of a television in a shop front window, this celebrates bringing artists work right to the public's attention through its location alone. The specific area is rich with a diverse slice of Wellington’s communities due to its popularity as the entertainment precinct as well as its high use as a city thoroughfare. Even a large portion of the bus commuters will be able to enjoy this installation, all benefitting our inner city communities by making our streets feel more alive and safer with the presence of art, and providing a safe, uniquely accessible project for the public to enjoy. Urban Dreams - Te Wāhi o Te Papa Whakāta, is proudly presented by Urban Dream Brokerage in partnership with Wellington City Creative Communities Scheme.

From the curation/Programming team of Tanya Ruka & Ollie Hutton..

“I was honored to have the opportunity to be a part of the kōrero of other artists, to be able to read about their work, their journey and to watch the pieces!” Tanya Ruka

“It was a joy to see the diverse range of moving image artists in Te Whanganui-a-Tara alone. Makes me excited for the future explorations, learnings and connections made through public displays of moving image like this.” Ollie Hutton

Urban Dreams - Te Wāhi o Te Papa Whakāta

The program will play each Wednesday to Sunday, from 4pm to 11pm, with each film on loop during this time.

The following is the line up of our artists and their respective dates for viewing:

June 22nd - Tanya Ruka - Te Aro Tāima

June 29th - Denise Batchelor - Slowly

July 6th - Kate Wood - Non-Sites

July 13th - Louis Neale - Mana tipua tuku iho ~ TRANSCESTOR

July 20th - Sophie Jerram - Refined Life

July 27th - Jenna Erikkson - Flow

Aug 3rd - Jamie Berry - Wai Whakaika

Aug 10th - Ollie Hutton - Square Eyes, E te Atua

https://www.urbandreambrokerage.org.nz/urban-dreams

ENDS 

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES contact Cheree Ridder, Urban Dream Brokerage publicist,

Email: Chereeridder@gmail.com

Phone: 027 577 3520

Key Personnel:

Urban Dream Brokerage is a public art organisation that uses vacant city spaces to present community engaging and participatory activations. We have a history going back to 2013 and in that time have promoted over 120 works. After a brief hiatus in 2018 the brokerage reformed under the management of Jason Muir in late 2020, with a new team helping to deliver the programme. Since our reformation we have promoted the six commissioned public artworks, as well as, activated seven other independent projects.

Ollie Hutton - “Independent artist and filmmaker living in Pōneke. Awe, human connection and our natural/spiritual world continually inform my work as I explore and play between different artistic mediums - with a focus on the moving image and community arts”.

Tanya Ruka (Ngati Pakau Te Uriroroi, Te Parawhau, Te Mahurehure Nga Puhi Waitaha-Hokianga) - “Indigenous Māori visual artist, filmmaker, designer, independent researcher, collaborative producer. Active in Environmental Issues from an Indigenous Perspective in Aotearoa NZ and globally, working with the Waitaha Executive Grandmothers Council as Claims Administrator.”

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