This exhibition, eight years in the planning, had the misfortune to open one week before the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake; the exhibition was immediately taken down and never went up again – the Christchurch Art Gallery has still not reopened. Although in my book Fantastica: The World of Leo Bensemann (NRO1) I covered the whole of Bensemann’s career, in the exhibition I took responsibility for the paintings (portraits and landscapes) , while Dr. Noel Waite (University of Otago) looked after Bensemann’s graphic work, book design and printing. This was the most extensive exhibition of Bensemann’s work ever mounted and together with Fantastica will compel a major reassessment of his place in New Zealand culture. Art New Zealand wrote of it: ‘The exhibition (including more than 100 items) is significant in bringing together what has in the past appeared disparate and unrelated; here Bensemann's entire oeuvre - the output of a painter, illustrator, calligrapher, typographer, designer and publisher is given equal billing. Although this exhibition is an important re-assessment and valuable for a new generation unfamiliar with his work, a national touring show would have precipitated an even greater awareness’.
A pdf copy of the third introductory panel of Guy Frederick's 'The Space Between Words' exhibition. The panel includes discussion on how Frederick and others in Canterbury responded to the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes.
A photograph of the John Robert Godley statue on display in the Canterbury Quakes exhibition at the Canterbury Museum. The statue fell off its plinth in Cathedral Square during the 22 February 2011 earthquake, exposing two time capsules.
A photograph of equipment from the New Zealand Fire Service Urban Search and Rescue team on display in the Canterbury Quakes exhibition at the Canterbury Museum. The equipment was used during the emergency response to the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of a quilt on display in the Canterbury Quakes exhibition at the Canterbury Museum. The quilt was created by members of the public who sent squares to The Breeze radio station in Auckland to be part of the 'Quilt for Christchurch'.
A photograph of a sign in the Canterbury Quakes exhibition at the Canterbury Museum. The sign displays the number of aftershocks in Canterbury since the 4 September 2010 earthquake as of 9.00 am on the morning the photograph was taken. The tally was 9,787.
A PDF copy of five postcards in remembrance of the February earthquake. The front of each postcard reads, "22 February. Today we reflect". The postcards have been used at River of Flower events and the Bloom Exhibition.
A PDF copy of pages 336-337 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Green Frame Exhibition'.
Christchurch gallery’s collections, exhibitions and services. Includes featured articles from CoCa Magazine. Includes coverage
This article examines the representation of Christchurch, New Zealand, student radio station RDU in the exhibition Alternative Radio at the Canterbury Museum in 2016. With the intention of ‘making visible what is invisible’ about radio broadcasting, the exhibition articulated RDU as a point of interconnection between the technical elements of broadcasting, the social and musical culture of station staff and volunteers, and the broader local and national music scenes. This paper is grounded in observations of the exhibitions and associated public programmes, and interviews with the key participants in the exhibition including the museum's exhibition designer and staff from RDU, who acted as independent practitioners in collaboration with the museum. Alternative Radio also addressed the aftermath of the major earthquake of 22 February 2011, when RDU moved into a customised horse truck after losing its broadcast studio. The exhibition came about because of the cultural resonance of the post-quake story, but also emphasised the long history of the station before that event, and located this small student radio station in the broader heritage discourse of the Canterbury museum, activating the historical, cultural, and personal memories of the station's participants and audiences.
A photograph of a letter on display in the Canterbury Quakes exhibition at the Canterbury Museum. The letter was found in a time capsule in the plinth of the statue of John Robert Godley in Cathedral Square after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of the Speaker's Chair on display in the Canterbury Quakes exhibition at the Canterbury Museum. The Speaker's Chair stood at the southern end of the Stone Chamber of the Canterbury Provincial Chambers, and survived the 22 February 2011 earthquake despite the damage to the chamber.
A pdf copy of the second introductory panel of Guy Frederick's 'The Space Between Words' exhibition. The panel includes a collection of Guy Frederick's memories of the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, as well as discussion on how people experience change.
A pdf copy of the first introductory panel of Guy Frederick's 'The Space Between Words' exhibition. The panel includes a collection of Guy Frederick's memories of the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, as well as discussion on how people experience change.
A photograph of a letter on display in the Canterbury Quakes exhibition at the Canterbury Museum. The letter was found in a time capsule in the plinth of the statue of John Robert Godley in Cathedral Square after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A video of Jack Mann talking about his favourite painting at Julia Holden's Inconvenience Store exhibition.
A photograph of The Press newspapers on display in the Canterbury Quakes exhibition at the Canterbury Museum. The newspapers where discovered inside a time capsule found in the plinth of the statue of John Robert Godley in Cathedral Square after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of The Press newspapers on display in the Canterbury Quakes exhibition at the Canterbury Museum. The newspapers where discovered inside a time capsule found in the plinth of the statue of John Robert Godley in Cathedral Square after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A sign for an exhibition in the Christchurch Art Gallery reading, "De-Building, 5 February - 15 May".
A PDF copy of eight postcards in remembrance of the earthquakes. The front of each postcard reads, "Three years on... It's all right to grieve for what we've lost". The postcards have been used at River of Flower events and the Bloom Exhibition.
An exhibition of artworks on the cordon fence. This was a project by the Linwood Community Art Centre.
A photograph of people examining the artworks at the opening of the As Far As Eye Can See exhibition.
A photograph of people examining the artworks at the opening of the As Far As Eye Can See exhibition.
A new exhibition is simply called " 37". The show is by the photographer Doc Ross, features 37 Christchurch people captured on film using a 37 second exposure. The aim: to reflect the length of time their city shook during February 2011's devastating earthquake. Katy Gosset hears some of the stories behind the exhibition and hits the streets to record her own take on the 37 second concept.
A video compilation of visitors to Julia Holden's Inconvenience Store exhibition on Saturday 12 April talking about their favourite painting.
A video compilation of visitors to Julia Holden's Inconvenience Store exhibition on Saturday 12 April, talking about their favourite paintings.
A video compilation of visitors to Julia Holden's Inconvenience Store exhibition on Saturday 12 April talking about their favourite paintings.
Ryan Renolds and Coralie Winn from Gap Filler at the Ortszeit exhibition on an empty building site on Worcester Street.
A video compilation of visitors to Julia Holden's Inconvenience Store exhibition on Saturday 12 April, talking about their favourite paintings.
The ideal Victorian woman In Victorian society, a woman was to be meek, mild, virtuous and peaceful (Whiteside 2007). She was expected to marry and have children. She would stay at home, looking after her children and her husband and … Continue reading →