Various Artists with Beth & Sofia

Quadraphonic Coats is a new exhibition by Wellington-born and Sydney-based artist Vita Cochran. 

In exploring modernist forms and feminist histories, Cochran sources vintage coats from across decades, unpicks them, and repurposes them into something else. 

In this way, Cochran describes this exhibition, Quadraphonic Coats, as a multi-generational gathering. 

Sofia spoke to Vita about the exhibition and some of the feminist themes in her practice.

Birdboy Press is an independent publisher of poetry founded and run by poet Jamie Trower. Beth caught up with Jamie, and Birdboy poets Georgie Silk and Kathy Frantz, about their poetry collections, the process of collaboration and their experiences with independent publishing.

You can pick up a copy of Georgie and Kathy’s respective new collections of poetry, Peel and Motherland, from Time Out Bookstore or an independent bookstore near you.

Sofia had a kōrero with Francis McWhannell about a new group show at Season Gallery, Kith and Kin. 

She also spoke to artist Layla Rudneva-Mackay about her new show at Melanie Roger Gallery, Wrinkled Speech. 

And she spoke to curator Benny Chan about a new group exhibition at Bergman Gallery, Belonging: Stories of Contemporary New Zealand Asian Artists. 

On Stage Direction this week: Alice Canton chats with Eden Webster about the programme for Koanga Festival, an upcoming festival at Te Pou Theatre that celebrates Maori storytelling and new voices.

Kith and Kin is a new group exhibition at Season Gallery with brunelle dias, Tony Guo, Levi Kereama, Claudia Kogachi, and the esteemed Jacqueline Fahey.

Testifying to the importance of strengthening community, Kith and Kin comprises stylistically diverse figure-based paintings exploring notions of family and friendship, ancestry and diaspora, identity and belonging. 

Emblems of faith, evocative interiors, fields seen from the sky, and items of food both everyday and symbolic can be seen as common elements in the works.

Sofia spoke to Season Gallery co-curator, Francis McWhannell, about Kith and Kin, starting the interview asking him about the process for selecting artists.