Inaugural recipients of the Te Ataata Residency

French Embassy and AUT announce inaugural recipients of the Te Ataata Residency

The Cultural Office of the French Embassy in New Zealand and Auckland University of Technology (AUT) are pleased to announce the first recipients of the newly created Te Ataata Residency programme.

Two French laureates, Raphaël Pluvinage and Marion Pinaffo, both graduates from one of the premier art and design schools in France, ENSCI Les-Ateliers, will take up residence at AUT’s Colab from September to November this year. Their research will focus on the development of printed electronic toys and interactive art, topics they have previously worked on through their design company Papier Machine.

Colab co-director Frances Joseph says the residency will allow for the development of new initiatives and academic relations.

“We are really excited about the potential of this new partnership that not only provides an exchange of expertise but also a cultural immersion for Raphaël and Marion. Digital and new media is thriving in France and Colab will benefit hugely from this residency. The programme will enable the development of new research and collaboration with New Zealand practitioners.”

Cultural counsellor at the French Embassy, M. Raynald Belay is also enthusiastic about the opportunities presented by the new venture.
“We strongly believe that this residency is a fantastic opportunity for emerging French artists to share their savoir-faire, develop new relations and form collaborations with New Zealand creators and researchers. Digital and new media have been thriving in France in recent years with globally recognised creative people actively seeking new international connections, as well as a vibrant ecosystem. In this instance, Auckland and the Colab structure will offer Raphaël and Marion an ideal place of hybridisation between disciplines, technologies and audiences.”

Raphaël and Marion’s goal is to make electronics more visible, to demonstrate the basic principles of how they operate and how people engage with them. While in residence, the laureates will work with interactive materials and printed electronics to develop a public exhibition, collaborating with Colab’s academic and research communities.

For more information on the residency programme, visit http://bit.ly/TeAtaata.

ENDS

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