PRESS RELEASE

2 June 2011

"Concerned artists to catapult bus outside Beehive in support of Urewera 18”

A group of Wellington artists plan to open an exhibition by catapulting a model school-bus onto the head of a George W Bush impersonator on the Beehive lawn at noon on Friday, to bring attention to the case against the Urewera 18 arrestees.

“We wanted to test the feasibility of the assassination plot that police were so concerned about - a catapult, designed to launch a bus onto the head of former US president George Bush” says Ben Knight, one of the artists and spokespeople for the Concerned Citizens art exhibition, which opens on Friday. “It might sound pretty silly, but the police thought it was serious enough to put 18 people through hell for almost four years before standing trial.”

A number of prominent figures have also spoken out against the handling of the case, including civil rights lawyer Moana Jackson and Professor Jane Kelsey.

The Concerned Citizens exhibition involves more than 60 artists and musicians, to raise funds and public awareness for the arrestees of the 2007 October 15th "terror raids." Exhibited works range from paintings, sculptures, and animation.

The exhibition will open with a karakia from arrestee Moana Winitana at Garrett Street exhibition space on Friday June 3rd at 4:30pm. The opening will be followed by a screening of Errol Wright and Abi King-Jones’ documentary, “Operation 8: Deep in the Forest”, with an introductory talk by King-Jones. Exhibition viewing will continue over the weekend.

The event features work from up and coming as well as more established artists, including Peter Madden, Roger Morris, Richard Meros, Bryce Galloway, Arlo Edwards, Kerry Ann Lee, and Tao Wells, creator of the controversial Beneficiary’s Office installation in 2010.

A video of the catapult in action can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95xOv31DXM0
More images can be provided on request.

For more information about the exhibition, visit www.concernedcitizens.co.nz

List of participating artists and musicians:

Tao Wells

Dick Whyte

Bryce Galloway

Robyn Kenealy

Roger Morris

Peter Madden

Kerry Ann Lee

Richard Meros

Campbell Kneale

Stephen Templer

Ellen Rodda

Jeff Henderson

Pareraukawa Kura

Ryan Bennett

Hannah Salmon

Arlo Edwards

T.R.A.P.

Sam Ovens

Kim Gruschow

Richard Dennis Bartlett

David Alphabethead

Zachary Jordan Penney

Blake Dunlop

Carlos Augusto Patino Rojas

Jacob Carlson Sparrow

The Screamer

Turumeke Effie Harrington

Brendan Olphert

Fredd Marshall

Lance Ravenswood

Benjamin Michael Knight

James Quick

Hywel Thomas

Danny Dowling-Mitchell

Regan P Bailey

Rhydian Thomas

Ana McGowan

Georgie Brown

Rhiannon Beckett

Gene Van Der Zanden

Kelly Spencer

Ash Jones

Andy Macready

Tali Williams

Jon Coddington

Esther Lewis

Adam McCauley

Alex Meagher

Chloe-Rose Purcell

Aidan Griffin

Louis Klein

Hayden Currie

Alex Mitcalfe-Wilson

Zaou Vaughan

Sebi Ruters

Duncan McNoughton

Lance Cash

Matt Whitluxus

Mercedes Webb-Pullman

Seth Frightening

Joe Blossom

Albert Williams

Harriet Ferry

Jack Hooker

ENDS

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