With so many amazing artists that went to festpac from Aotearoa, it has been a prolific time of showing some of the work that was made whilst away and a continuation of shows, exhibitions and productions.  I was not at the first screening of this soundscape but was lucky enough to see it at the film archives in Wellington.  These talented guys recorded samples of sound from all sorts of spaces, places and things in Guahan, together with a stirring story of an influential Samoan ancestor as the inspiration.  The whole piece was incredibly moving and creative, Resampling Guahan, is a combination of sound samlples built into a composition and wrapped together with some amazing film and video footage

Getting out and about is a great way to be inspired and going to City Gallery in Wellington to see Frances Upritchard: Jealous Saboteurs was great.  It was brilliant to see everything up close with retrospective work along side some more recent work.  Her work is exceptional and I find it reflective of my own in a museum collection kind of way.  The pieces are often ambiguous with common objects being reused, fantastic, pictures below.

I also managed to get around to a few other events.  A talk at City Gallery called ..Time in Te Ao Maori, with  Dr Huhana Smith, Ngahina Hohaia and Dr Patu Hohepa.  It was great listening and discovering more interesting and inspiring information about  Maori linguistics , culture and art.  The idea that the Maori language has no word for’now’ the present is also the past, the past is also the future and we also dwell in a dimension that contains all three.  It is a concept that I readily agree with and consider a cultural concept that holistically incoporates our connection with our Ancestors as a living continuity that is within us, our whakapapa.

A few of the inspiring events i have attended and yes it doesnt stop there.  The Objectspace show is happening next Friday 8th July is the opening and it will be the end of one journey and the beginning of another..