Director's Foreword
City Gallery Wellington is delighted to bring you the third instalment of our triennial ‘Telecom Prospect’ exhibition series: ‘Telecom Prospect 2007: New Art New Zealand’. Curated by the Gallery’s Senior Curator Heather Galbraith, this exhibition charts some of the most interesting developments in New Zealand art over the past three years.
When City Gallery Wellington embarked upon the first ‘Prospect’ exhibition in 2001, the premise was to establish a recurring exhibition which focused on the work of contemporary New Zealand artists. Six years on and two ‘Prospect’ exhibitions later, the original concept remains the same. However like the best curatorial formula, it has given rise to three dramatically different exhibitions.
Like the previous ‘Prospect’ curators (Lara Strongman in 2001, and Emma Bugden in 2004), Heather Galbraith has looked far and wide, and across a variety of media, to bring this project together. As Heather has so aptly put it ‘the expectation that a single exhibition can accurately define or embody a “zeitgeist” of current practice is unrealistic and outmoded’. ‘Telecom Prospect 2007’ is a subjective and individual selection of works and reading of them rather than a definitive list or a summation. As Heather suggests in her title for one of the thematic clusters of the exhibition, ‘Telecom Prospect 2007’ is at once ‘Quiet’ and a ‘Riot’; there is art to soothe, to charm, as well as agitate.
The exhibition provides an opportunity for you to ponder current art practice and consider where art might be going next. Alongside established artists such as Richard Killeen, et al. and Judy Millar generating exciting new bodies of work, younger generations of artists have produced ambitious, complex and resonant projects. ‘Telecom Prospect 2007’ reflects a robust and thrilling time for New Zealand art and for intergenerational exchange between artists.
This exhibition project would not have been possible without the dedication, original vision, tenacity, and sheer hard work of the artists. City Gallery Wellington thanks you each sincerely for your contribution to the show. Without you, none of this would have been possible.
Thank you also to those private lenders who have kindly parted with prized possessions to share them with a wider public. Our gratitude also extends to the significant contribution of artists’ gallerists.
Many organisations and companies have generously donated their time and in-kind support to the exhibition and individual artist projects. We are immensely grateful for your crucial contribution to the realisation of this ambitious project.
We would like to specially thank City Gallery Wellington Foundation Principal Corporate Benefactor, Telecom, as ongoing Principal Sponsor of the ‘Prospect’ triennial exhibition. We would also like to acknowledge and thank Montana as hospitality and Events sponsor, Creative New Zealand for supporting the publication and public programmes and the funding of an Assistant Public Programmes co-ordinator for ‘Telecom Prospect 2007’ by Rob Gardiner and Sue Gardiner through the Chartwell Trust.
Generous support has been provided by the Museum Hotel and Apartment Suites and the Comfort Hotel for artist accommodation. Also thanks to Len Cheeseman, the Parkview motor camp for graphic design identity, Alto for website design, Bunnings, Newtown for artist materials, Newbolds 100% Your Electrical Store Masterton for technology equipment, Magnum Mac for computer equipment, Wellington City Council Publication and Design Business Unit for poster printing, Phantom billstickers for city-wide poster promotion and Wellington City Council Public Art Fund for supporting a live installation component.
We are as ever deeply grateful for the core funding and ongoing support of Wellington City Council and Wellington Museums Trust.
I want to acknowledge the amazing vision and resolve of Heather Galbraith, curator of ‘Telecom Prospect 2007’. To undertake such an ambitious project so soon after her arrival at City Gallery and to juggle this project with her considerable other exhibition and Gallery commitments is no mean feat. Heather has pulled this off with tremendous aplomb, retaining her composure, boundless energy and absolute professionalism throughout.
Thank you also to the dedicated team of staff at the Gallery who have all worked tirelessly on this project and whose commitment must also be recognised.
I am sure you will find in this exhibition works to pique your interest in contemporary New Zealand art and I hope you enjoy it.
Paula Savage
Director