Finding Neitherland, presented by Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust, brings together nine young Pacific artists selected from five Auckland tertiary institutions for the fourth annual tertiary exhibition.
Using Roland Barthes concept of ‘neither-norism’ as a starting point, exhibition curator Graham Fletcher, asks the artists to negotiate AUT’s St Paul St Gallery as a ‘concept space’ that is neither here nor there. This concept space should be thought of as mythological place of unlimited scope and potential. Finding Neitherland is about the act of discovering new possibilities within the terrain of neither-norism. What those possibilities are have been left to these emerging artists to discover for themselves.
“While I have acknowledged that these artists are of Pacific descent and at the start of their careers, I did not want them to take an ideological position in relation to their cultural background,” Fletcher says, “I wanted to devise an exhibition framework that would showcase the work of a group of Pacific Island artists while temporarily disrupting the post-colonial superstructure.”
Auckland artist Graham Fletcher is a New Zealand-born Samoan whose art explores cultural issues in a post-colonial context. He has been a practising artist since 1997 and has a Doctor of Fine Arts degree from The University of Auckland. He has exhibited regularly in dealer and public galleries throughout New Zealand and abroad and has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards. His work is held in public and private collections nationwide and has been documented in several publications.
Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust continues to increase its contact with Pacific students so as to meet their needs and to provide opportunities for them to be involved with senior practicing Pacific artists. There has also been a demand for exhibition opportunities for tertiary students and this annual tertiary exhibition provides the opportunity for students to build networks with their peers.
Exhibition
Finding Neitherland
Date: 21 July – 12 August 2011
Venue: Gallery 1 & 2, St Paul Street Gallery
Curated by: Graham Fletcher
Artists:
Keishya Adams Darcell Apelu Jessica Hitchings Michael Lee Pilimi Manu Ken Merrick Keva Rands Saimealafo Tapaleao Mac Teariki
For further information contact:
Christina Jeffery
Manager, Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust
manager@tautai.org
09.376 1665
021 373 402