Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa, running from the 9th - 13th of September, is described as Tāmaki Makaurau’s underground fashion week.
Co-organised by Sophia Kwon, Billy Blamires and Nina Bailey, the name - Āhua - means form or shape, and is a synonym for fashion.
Set to showcase the work of a range of emerging independent creatives, each event is themed around slow fashion, ‘alternative’ fashion, streetwear and jewellery.
Āhua is a non-profit initiative, with all proceeds going to support the people of Gaza.
Sofia spoke to two of the organisers, Sophia and Billy about this initiative and the events planned for next week.
Sofia had a kōrero with the executive producer of Day One Hāpai te Haeata, Chris Widdup, about Day One Shorts - a screening of 8 funded short films made by young emerging filmmakers that explore cultural, social, and political issues at the Hollywood Avondale on Tuesday.
Beth had a kōrero with artist Sandra Bushby about an exhibition currently on at Sumer Gallery, Pouring Light.
And for Stage Direction this week: Alice Canton is in to chat with Georgia-May Ross from Auckland Fringe Festival about the programme this year.
And to finish the show we have your weekly arts guide!
Pouring Light is an exhibition by artist Sandra Bushby currently showing at Sumer Gallery. It’s an exploration of the interplay of light and colour, comprising a series of oil paintings as well as watercolours and (goo-arsh) gouache.
Sandra draws inspiration from the late Joanna Margaret Paul, in particular her poem Blue Fleur with the Stations of the Cross (1971). The works in Pouring Light combine the visual with verbal poetry.
Beth caught up with Sandra at Sumer Gallery to kōrero about Pouring Light and her artmaking process.
Day One Hāpai te Haeata is a film project which provides rangatahi with the tools, guidance and opportunities to share stories on screen.
In providing a range of initiatives to help young filmmakers learn, make, and connect with other storytellers to take their first steps into the film industry, Day One is passionate about uplifting and amplifying youth voices.
Next week Day One has a screening at the Hollywood Avondale for Day One Shorts - a screening of 8 funded short films made by young emerging filmmakers that explore cultural, social, and political issues.
Sofia spoke with Executive Director Chris Widdup about Day One and the short film screening next week.
She started their kōrero asking Chris what the kaupapa of Day One Hāpai te Haeata is.
Milkstars: Sound Constellations is an exhibition currently on at Te Uru Gallery. It ‘draws on sound-oriented works in the Chartwell Collection to map relationships between artists across time and space.’ The exhibition also marks the 50th anniversary of the Chartwell Collection.
Beth spoke with curator at Te Uru Gallery, James Gatt, about Milkstars and the process of curation.
Kodachroma is an exhibition by Whanganui-based artist Katherine Claypole. It weaves colour and handstitching to create a flash of vividness in the midst of winter. The title is a play on Kodachrome, a reference to Katherine’s interest in this medium and the aesthetic of the ’70s.
Katherine advises the viewer to move around the work and experience it from different angles to enjoy its full optical potential.
Beth spoke to Katherine about Kodachroma and her artmaking processes.
Lots going on in the wide art world of Tāmaki Makaurau this week!
Sofia had a kōrero with curator Natasha Conland about the Walters Prize candidates and exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery.
Beth spoke with Whanganui-based artist Katherine Claypole about her exhibition Kodachroma, currently on at Suite Gallery.
Sofia also spoke to artist Shannon Te Ao about an exhibition of his at Coastal Signs, Te pōtiki o te ao.
And Beth had a kōrero with curator James Gatt about Milkstars: Sound Constellations, an exhibition currently on at Te Uru Gallery.
For Stage Direction this week: Alice Canton is in to chat with Keagan Carr Fransch about ANTi, a show about a family forced to meet at the intersection of queer love, religious expectations, tragic heroines and Black womanhood at Basement Theatre from the 27th to the 31st of August.
And to round off the show, as always, we have your weekly Arts Guide!
Te pōtiki o te ao is an exhibition by Shannon Te Ao (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Wairangi, Ngāti Te Rangi-ita, Te Pāpaka-a-Maui) on at Coastal Signs.
Sofia spoke to Shannon about the exhibition and his practice, as well as a work of his to be presented at the 15th Gwangju Biennale Pavilion later this year.
A selection of works by the four artists nominated for Aotearoa's most prestigious art prize, The Walters, is currently being exhibited at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.
The $50,000 Walters Prize - which is now awarded every three years - is being decided this year between artists Owen Connors, Juliet Carpenter, Brett Graham and Ana Iti.
Sofia spoke to Senior Curator of Global Contemporary Art at Auckland Art Gallery, Natasha Conland, about the prize and the candidates this year.
The winner will be announced in late September, so stay tuned for more coverage from us then! You can see the works of the finalists yourself at Auckland Art Gallery on until the 20th of October.
Flora Feltham is a writer from Pōneke Wellington. After completing her Masters in Creating Writing, she published Bad Archive, a book of essays, through Victoria University Press.
The language of Flora’s essays is expressive and provides for rich creative scope. Author Rose Lu described it as ‘idiosyncratic, warm and wry, [moving] seamlessly across time and space.’
Beth caught up with Flora about Bad Archive and her processes as a creative non-fiction writer.
Florence Hartigan and Shoshana McCallum chat to Alice Canton about their shows, Me, My Mother and Suzy Cato and Merely Beloved! on at the Herald Theatre from 8-10 May.
Mayen Mehta and Ryan O'Kane from Auckland Theatre Company joined Sofia in the studio to chat about Murder on the Orient Express, on at ASB Waterfront Theatre 22 April - 10 May.
John Davies joined Sofia and Beth in studio to chat about Te Tupua - The Goblin, a solo play written and performed by Davies himself. Tickets for tonight's show at Te Pou Theatre here.
Ahi Karunaharan joined Beth and Sofia in the studio to talk about a mixtape for maladies, the final chapter of Karunaharan's trilogy. The play tells the story of 17 nostalgic pop tracks which chart the deeply moving journey of Sangeetha and her family in 1950s Sri Lanka. a mixtape for maladies is on at ASB Waterfront Theatre from the 4th March. You can get your tickets here.
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