Archive for April, 2007

TheNewDowse art gallery re-opened in February after major works that have improved and expanded their exhibition spaces in their Lower Hutt building.

I’ve really enjoyed their re-launch campaign, featuring a blistering pink on posters and balloons. The slogan ‘TheNewDowse is the *!’ invites you to make up your own mind. Nice one!

I took a photo of this poster on the edge of Wellington’s central business district. Is this the first ever campaign that’s compatible with graffiti? (The graffiti is the black squiggle in the bottom right hand corner.) Perhaps not what TheNewDowse intended - but it doesn’t look out of place.

(more…)

by Rachel O’Neill, NZLive.com Content Officer

The ART / WORLD symposium, hosted by Wellington’s City Gallery on 20-21 April, was a hot-house of ideas and debate focused on three rounds of panel discussions and a keynote by Artistic Director of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Juliana Engberg.

Helen Galbraith, lead curator at the City Gallery, suggested early on in the day that we think of the art world as ‘a seven-headed hydra’. This was reflected in the diversity of contributors at the symposium. Artists, curators, arts programmers, gallery and institutional representatives, writers and critics supplied a plethora of approaches, views and positions to each issue tackled by the various panels.

A key point for both artists and institutions was debated in the panel titled ‘We need you: art / audience co-dependency’. Panellists positioned the contemporary art viewer as both consumer and producer - the ‘pro-sumer’ of contemporary culture. The intimate art experience is also a participatory one.

(more…)

by Hon Judith Tizard, Associate Commerce Minister

Creativity is encouraged when the ownership rights of those who create that music, art and other endeavours are respected.

April 26 is World Intellectual Property Day, a day when member countries of the World Intellectual Property Organisation celebrate creativity. It is an excellent opportunity to honour those who create artistic works.

These people work hard to create, and their success depends very much on the level of respect we as consumers have for their intellectual property rights. New Zealand has good intellectual property rules, and this makes it a good place for creators and people who use creative works in their businesses.

If you have difficulty viewing this video clip in your browser, go directly to YouTube to watch it.

(more…)

Following the success of ‘Burning Questions’ in 2006, the great guys at ((Chart)) in association with NZ Music Month are presenting another ‘Burning Questions’ - 1 on 1 Music Industry Session on Wednesday, 2nd May 2007, 6:30pm at Al’s Bar, 31 Dundas St, Christchurch.

Bring your bios, demos, albums, photos, videos and meet the ((Chart)) trustees representing the Christchurch Music Industry Trust and other key industry peeps who will do their absolute best to answer any questions you’ve been dying to ask but didn’t know how, in a series of relaxed and personal quick one-on-one sessions over a beer or coffee.

This is your chance to hang with other folks involved in the Christchurch music industry.

(more…)

by Hon Judith Tizard, Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage

Collecting art has become a million dollar enterprise in New Zealand, but are too many of our visual artists getting only crumbs from the table?

Since it was released on Monday, a discussion paper on a possible resale royalty right scheme for artworks resold on the secondary market has already set off a lively debate.

As expected we are hearing strong views both for and against the introduction of this right.

At this stage, the government does not have a firm position one way or the other and is hoping the current publicity will help bring forward the full range of views by the 22 June deadline.  

(more…)