Light Box Project - Courtney Place Park
May 11th, 2008
The inaugural Light Box Project exhibition Flânerie and Figments has recently been set up in Courtney Place Park, Wellington.
The light box project is an intense, highly public exhibition space featuring eight 3-metre tall, cor-ten steel and glass, LED boxes. The space has a backdrop of buildings, buses and trees instead of the traditional white walls of a gallery. This is the first exhibition space of its kind in New Zealand.
Flânerie and Figments, curated by Simon Bush-King and Andy Palmer, features contemporary photography by eight Wellington artists. The exhibition comprises 16 images which feed off and critique Wellington’s urban condition. Flânerie and Figments encourages people to consider their understanding of and relationship to the city. From the Light Box Project press release.
Photo Credits: L to R
Victoria Birkenshaw The Red Scorpion, 2007
Andy Palmer where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? #1, 2005/2007
Clare Noonan Shoreline 2, 2008
This exhibition features work by Andy Palmer, John Lake, Victoria Birkinshaw, Shaun Lawson, Amelia Handscomb, Steve Rowe, Jessica Silk and Clare Noonan. All contemporary, Wellington based artists but, as James from Photography Matters puts it “not the usual suspects, but the up and comers, the real contemporary photographers.”
James gives a good description of the opening and some on the works on his blog. Be sure to read the comments as they include some reflection on the project by one of the curators and photographers, Andy Palmer.
Andy has also written a few posts about the process on his blog, check them out here and here. In his role as co-curator Andy sourced the participating photographers - Good one Andy! (okay so being Auckland based I haven’t actually seen the photographs yet but my enthusiasm is based on all this wonderful internety information).
Photo Credit: Andy Palmer
Andy has commented in one of his blog posts that they’re still expecting some controversy. It sounds like he won’t be disappointed: from Photography Matters, “One image, by Shaun Lawson, shows a young woman who has suffered a beating from her partner. (This image may soon be withdrawn and replaced by another in the same series.)” One question that springs to mind is, is the exhibition more challenging or more successful if it invites controversy? However it may be that the sensibilities of the public (or particularly vocal members thereof) are offended by an image which in all probability invites thought and challenges perceptions. Again though, without seeing the image in question or knowing the background it’s hard to say. I’ll be interested to hear how that one plays out.
It seems that this exhibition, and those to come, was made possible by the Public Art Fund, a Wellington City Council initiative. (Listen up Auckland City Council!) These works are on show for 6 months and seem well worth a trip to Wellington for…..
May 12th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Hi Abby. Good post. Thanks for the pingback.
I understand, second hand, that Shaun Lawson doesn’t agree with me that he was “setting out to be controversial” but from where I’m sitting, that appears to be the case. I say that as a positive criticism, and I think his images particularly are the ones that are going to stop people and engage them with the whole show. There is also subtlety there, but some of the other works fit into the ’slow release’ catergory, and therefore don’t tend to stop people by themselves. A good curatorial selection, in other words.
Yes it’s a good reason for Aucklanders to come to Welly, and also you can get decent coffee here. (I know you have good coffee somewhere, I just can’t seem to find it.)
May 13th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
I am heading to Wellington this week and will definitely check out the Light Box Project. It’s hardly surprising that the Wellington City Council has achieved something in the public art realm that is more progressive and interesting than anything appearing around Auckland. Having recently been involved with a public art project funded by Auckland City Council (Living Room), I was dismayed to find in my experience that the focus of the council (particularly in my dealings with the marketing dept) is very dated and lacked the vision to engage with the work the artists are creating and convey this to the public. Instead they seem determined to place the art projects into a preconceived framework that bears no resemblance to the projects involved. Such a shame as the body of projects selected show that the selection panel for the Living Room have a greater vision for the Living Room and its aims, as well as an understanding of the contemporary approaches of artists engaging with public art.
I will have a coffee or two while in Welly, but I must admit that it will be hard to beat the brew they serve up here at Altezano… but I’m keeping an open mind.
February 7th, 2009 at 6:18 am
Nice work! I?ll have to do a cross post on this one
May 12th, 2010 at 8:36 am
Led lights are great because they are long lasting and consumes less electricity..`~