CITY GALLERY WELLINGTON Deane Gallery Touring Proposal ISRAEL TANGAROA BIRCH: ARA-I-TE-URU ISRAEL TANGAROA BIRCH, Ara-i-te-uru (detail), 2011. Lacquer on stainless steel, 150mm x 1500mm x 9000mm. Photo: Andrew Beck. Image courtesy of City Gallery Wellington.
City Gallery Wellington is pleased to announce the first Deane Gallery Māori and Pacific Arts touring exhibition Ara-i-te-uru (2011) by Israel Tangaroa Birch The Deane Gallery at City Gallery Wellington is dedicated to presenting a revolving schedule of new and recent, kaupapa driven, Māori and Pacific contemporary art projects. It is generously supported by patrons Roderick and Gillian Deane. 2
CONTENTS 1.0 Curator s introduction 2.0 The work 3.0 Images 4.0 Exhibition Details 5.0 Contacts 6.0 Artist s biography 7.0 Curator s biography 3
ISRAEL TANGAROA BIRCH: ARA-I-TE-URU 1.0 CURATOR S INTRODUCTION Israel Tangaroa Birch is an artist who is concerned with portraying the intangible elements of te ao Māori (the Māori worldview). Things such as wairua (spirit) and mauri (living energy), atua (god) and aituā (evil), te kore (the fertile void) and te pō (forms of darkness) gain physical form through Birch s deft use of colour, light, shape and illusion. In his latest installation Birch continues this practice, summoning the ancestral guardian taniwha of the Hokianga harbour, Ara-i-te-uru (also known as Āraiteuru), into the gallery as a river of steel and light. Crossing lines of media between painting, sculpture and installation, Ara-i-te-uru (2011) abounds with references to the collaborative works of Bill Culbert and Ralph Hotere and their investigations into the nature of te pō (darkness and death) and te ao mārama (light and life). Birch builds upon these discussions asking us to seriously consider the nature of taniwha, beings which have the paranormal ability to exist in between these realms. Customarily taniwha were regarded as guides or guardians, appearing as heralds of death or danger. In a reversal of roles Māori have in recent years become the guardians of taniwha. Protests against developments on historic taniwha sites have caused controversy in the media, testing public opinion and tolerance of Māori worldviews. Birch s Ara-i-te-uru exists in a place where darkness and light occupy the same space, a sacred realm beyond the āria, the veil between the physical and spiritual realm, where people are invited to step outside of linear understandings of the world and indulge in a Māori experience. At its core Ara-i-te-uru is a work that speaks across cultures and histories, appealing to our inherent human disposition to marvel at numinous objects items that possess an inexplicable power to transcend our physical experience and speak to the spiritual side of our being. Reuben Friend Curator Māori and Pacific Arts City Gallery Wellington 2.0 THE WORK Ara-i-te-uru consists of six spray lacquered steel sheets which have been sculpted into a long wave like form. The gallery walls are painted black and the floor is covered with a light absorbing black rubber substrate. Laid end to end upon this substrate, the sculpture itself measures 1.5m wide by 9m long and extends out from a wall of mirrors which the artist has employed to explore ideas of real and perceived objects/space. The artist and City Gallery Wellington are happy to explore reconfigurations of the installation, this includes the inclusion/exclusion of the mirrors and flooring to suit various gallery spaces and sizes, however the preference is that any reconfiguration remains as true as possible to the original realisation of the work. 4
3.0 IMAGES The images supplied below are taken from the first installation of Ara-i-te-uru in the Deane Gallery for Māori and Pacific Art at City Gallery Wellington in December 2011. NOTE: It is difficult to accurately depict the true refraction of light and fluctuation of colour and tonal qualities inherent in this work via still photography. For moving images that more accurately portray a true sense of the work in real space please visit the City Gallery Wellington s youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqen2hgioja&list=uufb4brz8xvw1ntofqpaqezg&i ndex=1&feature=plcp ISREAL TANGAROA BIRCH, Ara-i-te-uru (detail), 2011, lacquer on stainless steel, 150mm x 1500mm x 9000mm. Photography by Andrew Beck. Note: Point where sculpture meets mirror can be seen in background. 5
Front view Birdseye view of first section 6
View of final section where the sculpture joins with mirror Left view 7
Right view Installation shot 8
4.0 EXHIBITION DETAILS Exhibition Fee: $1,000 (excl GST) Availability: Available for tour from November 2012 Tour dates to be coordinated through City Gallery Wellington. Gallery space: Freight: Minimum required gallery space 3m (h) x 4m (w) x 11m (l) The Borrower is responsible for organising the freight; all freighting options must be agreed upon by City Gallery Wellington prior to the loan period beginning. Due to the artworks having receiving previous damage as a result of mishandling by freight companies our preference is for the consignment to be collected by the Borrower or, if this is not possible, delivered by City Gallery Wellington. Freight will be at the Borrower s expense and can be negotiated between venues. Travelling contents: 1) Six sculptural components are contained within six MDF crates. Crates are held together with cardboard corners and measure 245mm x 1700mm x 1400mm each. MDF Crates are to travel FLAT at all times. The crates are consolidated and tied on to 2 pallets for protection in transit. 2) Two 3mm thick acrylic mirrors mounted onto 12mm MDF board (with split batten mounts for installation) measuring 1220 x 2440mm each. Mirrors have not been crated to keep weight and freighting costs down. During transit mirrors are wrapped in tuff wrap then sandwiched together and rewrapped in woollen blankets. They are quite sturdy but will still need to be handled with care. 3) Condition reports and installation details. 4) Copyright cleared images for marketing and promotion. Insurance: Insurance value of artwork is NZD$40,000. Borrower is responsible for insuring the work while in transit to and from the Borrower s institution and while on their premises. NOTE: Mirrors are not included in insurance. Mirrors belong to City Gallery Wellington and will be lent at Borrower s own risk. A fee of $250 per mirror will be charged as a replacement cost if damaged. Mirrors are made from acrylic and should travel safely without damage if handled with care. Loan Agreement: Loan Agreement forms will be supplied by City Gallery Wellington. They must be signed by the Borrowing institution and a copy 9
returned to City Gallery Wellington for our records. Loan Agreement is adapted from the TENNZ standard touring agreement. Acknowledgements: City Gallery must be acknowledged in the appropriate manner in the media, on object labels, catalogues, websites and any other media and promotional material produced for the exhibition. Artist attendance: Borrower to cover artist s travel costs and accommodation, plus per diems of $70 per day during installation. Costs associated with any additional days on site for public programs, talks or workshops will also need to be covered by the Borrowing institution. Curator attendance: Borrowing institution to cover travel costs and accommodation, plus per diems of $70 per day during installation for one City Gallery Wellington staff member to oversee installation. Cost associated with any additional days on site for public programs, talks or workshops will also need to be covered by the Borrowing institution. Public programmes: The artist, Israel Tangaroa Birch and curator Reuben Friend may be available to attend tour venues to present public programs including workshops, talks, tours or lecturers. If a formal program was required or requested, this would need to be negotiated directly with City Gallery Wellington, and would be at the tour venue s cost. Cost of the artist and curator s attendance at the installation, opening (if applicable) or public programs are to be met by the Borrower. Publication: City Gallery Wellington has produced a one-thousand word brochure (short print run of 800 copies) especially for the exhibition in the Deane Gallery at City Gallery Wellington. The text from this catalogue may be provided or revised on request for any further publications that Borrowing institutions may wish to produce. Any publication proposed must be discussed and approved by City Gallery Wellington before being made public and carry with it the appropriate acknowledgement. 5.0 CONTACTS To indicate your interest, or with further enquiries please contact: Curator: Reuben Friend Email: reuben.friend@wmt.org.nz Ph: 04 801 4241 Fax: 04 801 3950 Mobile: 021 063 2887 10
Exhibitions Manager: Gerda Nana Email: gerda.nana@wmt.org.nz Ph: 04 801 4132 Fax: 04 801 3950 Mobile: 021 397 021 Registrar: Amber Baldock Email: amber.baldock@wmt.org.nz Ph: 04 801 3944 Fax: 04 801 3950 Mobile: 027 4766 365 Artist: Israel Tangaroa Birch Email: itbirch@hotmail.com Ph: 06 326 8636 Mobile: 021 055 4643 6.0 ARTIST S BIOGRAPHY Israel Tangaroa Birch (b. 1976) is of Ngāpuhi (Ngai Tawake) and Ngāti Kahungunu (Te Iwi o Rakaipaaka) descent and holds a degree in Visual Arts from the Eastern Institute of Technology, Napier. In 2010 Birch completed his Masters in Māori Visual Arts through Te Pūtahi-ā-Toi School of Māori Visual Arts, Massey University, Palmerston North where he currently lectures on Māori Visual Culture. He regularly exhibits nationally and abroad and has won several awards including the Ngā Karahipi ā Te-Waka Toi Creative New Zealand Excellence in Māori Arts Award and was a finalist in the Norsewear Art Award in 2004, 2005 and was awarded the supreme prize in 2006. Birch is represented by Martin Browne Gallery, New South Wales, Australia. Further biographical details are available on request from City Gallery Wellington. 7.0 CURATOR S BIOGRAPHY Reuben Friend (b. 1981) is of Pākehā and Ngāti Maniapoto lineage. He holds a Masters Degree in Māori Visual Arts and Post Graduate papers in Museum and Heritage studies through Te Pūtahi-ā-Toi School of Māori Visual Arts, Massey University, Palmerston North. He has worked at City Gallery Wellington since 2009 as Curator of Māori and Pacific Arts. Previous to his appointment at City Gallery Wellington he received the Blumdhart Foundation/Creative New Zealand Curatorial Internship at the Dowse Art Museum where he curated Plastic Māori: A Tradition of Innovation. 11