This looks like a great event, at 11am and 2pm on the 22nd and 23rd of this month there will be an opportunity to see fashion from 1920s-40s. The parade includes garments from private collections, and is to be held in the Winter Garden at the lovely Civic Theatre, so not to be missed!
For more info:
Last Wednesday evening I celebrated the Autuimn Equinox, it was lovely, friends and family turned up and we enjoyed some seasonal foods, and had a few drinks. It was great to catch up with people again and it was good to think about the changing of seasons and reflect on what ancestors may have said or done at such a time.
Traditionally, at this time of the year food would have been harvested and people would be enjoying good food and taking some rest after the hard work over the summer period. This was also a time to begin preparing to move into the dark time of the year and is a time for reflection and an inner focus.
Len Lye Outdoor Screening
Monday 19th March at Tahaki Reserve, Mt Eden
Born in Christchurch in 1901, Len Lye is one of New Zealand’s most celebrated artists, and widely recognised as a key figure in the history of experimental filmmaking. Lye’s moving image works exude an energy matched only by the vitality of the music he combined with his images.
The screening is an hour long fiesta of eleven of Len Lye’s most renowned films including Free Radicals, Colour Flight, Full Fathom Five and All Souls Carnival.
Full Fathom Five
[1953] ,1min
A haunting film using a lyric from Shakespeare’s The Tempest as spoken by the great British actor John Gielgud. He recorded the poem for Lye in 1935 for Lye’s original version of Full Fathom Five. This film is a remake of the original film with Lye using the same 1935 recording.
Colour Flight
Direct Film Co, 1938, Colour, 4mins
Colour Flight, which was commissioned by Imperial airways and took nine weeks to paint has been described as a ‘riot of colour’. The soundtrack consists of a Honolulu Blues by Red Nichols and the Five Pennies and a rumba by the Lecuona Cuban Boys. In response to Colour Flight a review by Time magazine hailed Lye as England’s answer to Disney.
Free Radicals
Direct Film Co, 1958 (revised 1979), 4mins
One of Lye’s most accomplished scratch films. Using a variety of objects from arrow-heads to dental tools Lye scratched his images onto black leader. Renowned experimental film maker Stan Brakhage described this film as “An almost unbelievable, immense masterpiece.”
Color Cry
Direct Film Co, 1952, 3mins
Color Cry is a ‘direct’ technique film made by exposing strips of 16mm film covered with stencils, colour gels, and objects such as mosquito netting, fabrics, saw blades and string to create abstract patterns. The film was edited to the haunting sounds of Blues artist Sonny Terry’s Fox Hunt.
Programme
Full Fathom Five [1953] 1min
Swinging The Lambeth Walk F3457 1939, 4mins
Free Radicals Direct Film Co, 1958 (revised 1979), 4mins
Color Cry Direct Film Co, 1952, 3mins
The Birth Of The Robot Humphrey Jennings/Len Lye, 1936, 7mins
Musical Poster No.1 1940, 3mins
Rhythm Direct Film Co, 1957, 1min
Particles In Space 1980, 3mins
Colour Flight Direct Film Co, 1938, 4mins
Tal Farlow 1980, 3mins
All Souls Carnival 1957/2000, 16mins
Running Time: 50 mins approx
On Saturday Group F opened AK07 with an awesome pyrotechnic display, I was lucky enough to have a couple of tickets to gain access to the area directly infront of the performance… all good untill the fallout started and just didn’t stop!
Here are a couple of photos if you missed it…
Auckland Festival’s series of cultural discussions returns. The Famous Spiegeltent will stage these FREE thought-provoking talks on weekday, from 12.30-1.30pm, throughout the Festival.
Tues 13 March: Nitin Sawhney Interviewed Live at the Spiegeltent
World class composer, songwriter and producer Nitin Sawhney speaks with Graham Reid about his life, work, philosophy and the creation of A Throw of Dice.
Wed 14 March: What Makes a Creative City: the Role of Arts in Urban Design
Speakers include: Auckland City Council’s Urban Design Manager Ludo Campbell-Reid, Michael Brook (New Zealand Film Archive, Unguarded Intersection: Aquarium AK03 and SKY AK07), Britomart Architect Mario Madayag, Auckland Festival, AK07 Windows artist Jessica Pearless and choreographer Marianne Schultz. Chaired by Vincent Heeringa (Idealog Magazine). Presented in association with Auckland City Council.
Thur 15 March: Poignant or Impotent: Political Themes on the NZ Stage
Speakers include: visiting political satirist Eddie Perfect (Drink Pepsi Bitch), Christian Penny (Penumbra) and director Lemi Ponifasio (TEMPEST), moderated by Oliver Driver.
Fri 16 March: A Song is a Bastard: the Marriage of Music and Poetry
Speakers include: David Fotter (Façade), poet and songwriter DJ Daren Kamali, with performances from Miriam Barr with cellist Fiona Holding, and Façade Musicians. Moderated by Murray Edmond.
Mon 19 March: Do Festivals Add to the Artistic Development of a City?
Chaired by Ilona Rodgers, speakers include David Malacari (Auckland Festival), Carla Van Zon (formerly New Zealand International Arts Festival), Ole Maiava (Pasifika) and Shelagh Magadza (The UWA Perth International Arts Festival).
Tues 20 March: Navigating Auckland’s Visual Arts: an Essential Guide
Speakers include Brian Butler (director ARTSPACE), Sue Gardiner (arts writer), Jenny Gibbs (patron and collector), John Gow (Gow Langsford Gallery) and Chris Saines (director Auckland Art Gallery) moderated by Natasha Beckman (Visual Arts & Public Programme Coordinator, Auckland Festival).
Wed 21 March: Spiegeltour
Built in 1920, this Grand Dame of Cabaret Salons has traveled to festivals worldwide. Feel her spirit and share her stories as Spiegelmaestro David Bates and La Clique Creative Producer/MC Brett Haylock take you on a tour of the most beautiful of the remaining mirrored pavilions.
Thurs 22 March: Heiner Goebbels – Laboritoire des Idées
Acclaimed German composer, producer and creator of Music-Theatre, Heiner Goebbels talks with Michael Hurst about his work.
Fri 23 March: Why Can’t Art Be More Like Sport? …or Why Can’t Sport Be More Like Art?
Speakers include Billy Apple (Artist and sports fan), Neil Waka (Sports Presenter) and Bernice Mene (Sportsperson & Black Grace Patron) and Aidee Walker (Actor), chaired by Clayton Carrick- Leslie.
12 – 23 March, Mondays to Fridays from 12.30-1.30pm
The Famous Spiegeltent, Red Square, Britomart, Auckland
FREE, no bookings required
AK in Conversation is part of Arts and Minds, the Auckland Festival, AK07 Public Programme which includes Arts Collective and Watch this Space
Whatever you do, don’t miss the fabulous Lantern Festival. Closing tomorrow evening with, as usual, fireworks brought to you by Wah Lee.
Happy year of the Fire Pig! Not too sure what this means for a Fire 火 Snake 蛇 like me.
Here are some images from last year’s festival
…just in time to catch The Faux, a group exhibition that concluded today in order for Jewellery Out of Context, or JOC, moves in this week
From the newsletter:
This exhibition explores an Alice in Wonderland world where nothing is what it seems. Furniture is recyclable, snack food takes on giant uneatable proportions and the accoutrements of the lavatory become soft sculpture for the living room. This exhibition features work from 13 makers working in ceramics, jewellery, textiles, wood and glass. Makers included are; Fran Allison, Sue Bridges, Madeline Childs, Regan Gentry, Janet Green, Philip Jarvis, Megan Hansen-Knarhoi, Paul Maseyk, Vaune Mason, Elizabeth McClure, Nicky Soons, Amanda Sorensen and Katy Wallace.
Check out the Objectspace website for more info on JOC, it is another exhibition featured in Auckland Festival, AK07.
Auckland Festival, AK07 begins this week, kicking off a month choc full of events, exhibitions, performances and parties. The vis arts team that I have been working with since October last year seems strangely calm and collected. I am certainly pleased as my project – compiling the Visual Arts Guide – has for the most part concluded, the guides have been distributed and are hopefully out in the pockets and handbags of those cheeky little vis arts peeps hoping to catch some action around town this month. My weekends are nearly all mine again and I’m no longer up for a few hours in the mornings before leaving for work fielding emails and editing copy… soon I might just take a summer holiday.
I’m looking forward to Urban Pacific opening this Wednesday evening, see image below, by Anita Jacobsen, entitled New 2 Day
and the Press Release from Giles…
URBAN PACIFIC -
New Pacific Art 2007
Randolph Street Gallery 8 March – 7 April, 10am – 4pm. www.whitecliffe.ac.nz
‘Showcasing the dynamism of new contemporary Maori and Pacific art, Urban Pacific is an exhibition that celebrates the vision of our young people and the ongoing contribution that they play in shaping Auckland’s character as a Pacific city,’ says curator Giles Peterson.
For the very cutting edge works of young Pacific artists Urban Pacific is the must see of the Auckland International Festival AK O7. It’s a cross disciplinary exhibition of painting, digital photography, moving image, sculpture, weaving and textile installation, fashion and tattoo by twelve young Maori and Pacific artists. The exhibition will include music video by bandit media and alternative hip hop band – Otros – ‘ aka The O.T.H.E.R.S. ‘.
Urban Pacific articulates a range of narratives concerned with issues facing young people today, including identity and identification, spirituality, the environment, globalization, representation, colonization, survival and of what it is to speak from a position of different cultures.
The exhibition celebrates the vision of our young people and their ongoing contribution drawn from their cultural heritages and how that is shaping Auckland’s character as the leading Pacific city in the world. In addition ‘ Urban Pacific Style ‘ – street style Poly- fashion/ed, body art, music and visual arts as a phenomenon on the local and global stage is explored. Urban Pacific will act as a forum that enables the voice of young people to be heard and provides an opportunity for all people to be enriched by vital, challenging and exciting work.
To check exhibition programme and opening times (09)309 5970 or
Email gilesp@wcad.ac.nz
Urban Pacific artists:
Kiwi Biddle, Quinton Carrington, Donna Campbell, Matt Dowman, Anita Jacobsen, Marlaina Key, Taylor Kingi, Nanette Lela’ulu, Lina Marsh, Marlon Rivers – and Otros, Lusia Samuela, Siliga David Setoga.
Thursday 5th October 6pm – 9.30pm at Alleluya Cafe, St Kevins Arcade, Karanghape Rd.
The last one was cool, there were lots of crafty stalls and a wide range of things to purchase, including acorn jewellery, odd second hand goods, zines, screen printed bags, knitted thingys, and crocheted vaginas!
There was only thing I was a little sad about – I would have liked to have seen more crochet, but maybe I can change that this time round!
http://www.craftwerk.co.nz/
More crafty sites…
Heather Barnes:
Nut and Bee:
Last month the Human Rights Film Festival came to Auckland.
The festival ran for one week at the Academy Cinema in town. After missing most of the films in previous years, this time round I was determined to see as many as my work schedule – and budget- allowed. I took in four of the feature films and a couple of the shorts films.
After each of the features films there were panel discussions with various speakers, from politcians, scientists, and representitives from the New Zealand
Human Rights Network.
http://www.humanrightsfilmfest.net.nz/
