Kermadec - Nine Artists Explore the South Pacific
Kermadec showcases a diverse collection of artworks from nine leading South Pacific artists inspired by their voyage to the Kermadec region of New Zealand in May 2011.
The artists were Niuean-born John Pule, painter John Reynolds, inter-media artist Phil Dadson, leading Australian sculptor/installation artist Fiona Hall, Wellington-based sculptor Elizabeth Thomson, one of New Zealand's most acclaimed artists Dame Robin White, documentary film maker Bruce Foster, photographer Jason O'Hara and text-based artist Gregory O'Brien.
In May 2011 at the invitation of Pew Environment Group’s Ocean Legacy Programme the artists travelled to the Kermadecs, a remote a part of New Zealand, located in the South Pacific Ocean, 1,000 km north of Auckland, on board the HMNZS Otago. The Kermadecs is an area the National Geographic Society identified in 2010 as one of the last pristine sites left in the world's oceans.
Despite their natural and historical significance, our awareness of the islands and surrounding waters is slight. The voyage to the Kermadecs created a unique opportunity for this significant group of artists to encounter a region they themselves knew little of but which has intrigued and inspired.
Based on Raoul, one of fifteen islands in the region, they explored and imagined the Polynesian voyagers, adventurers and scientists who had traversed this remote region before them. Each artist found their own “Kermadec voice”, and in their respective mediums they have created an extraordinary story and exhibition.
The resulting body of diverse work is a powerful statement of their unanimous commitment to first, confront the real issues that threaten this pristine environment and secondly, to alert New Zealanders and audiences throughout the world of the urgent need to safeguard this remarkable marine environment. We are reminded of the importance of the sea to our world.
Come and discover the Kermadecs through this stunning collection of contemporary art in the Edmiston Gallery.
View associated videos http://vimeo.com/kermadec
A stunning exhibition.
