4th Auckland Triennial

The concept for the 4th Auckland Triennial, Last Ride in a Hot Air Balloon was created and realised by Triennial curator Natasha Conland who wanted to “create a lively umbrella topic in which often cryptic practice and ideas would be cultivated.”

In her catalogue essay, Conland explores adventure and risk today, particularly how it affects our era. She dwells on these themes and their significance in the vulnerable economic and ecological times the world is currently enduring.

The balloon in the title is a metaphor, which communicates both a floating perspective above the earth and the romantic notion of adventure.

Conland’s research for artists and works focused on a horizontal axis across the globe from Asia to the Middle East, distorting the typical travel route from southern to northern hemispheres.

The end result, 29 different artists’ works from 18 different countries, showing across the city at Auckland Art Gallery/ARTSPACE/ST PAUL ST/The George Fraser Gallery and newly introduced industrial venue Shed 6 (90 Wellesley Street).

At first glance, there are many simple pleasures to enjoy from this year’s Triennial, but there are also points that keep you stimulated and challenged.

Works by known New Zealand artists – Nick Austin, Alicia Frankovich, Robert Hood, Shigeyuki Kihara, Alex Monteith, and Michael Stevenson – all leave lasting impressions.

Last Ride has more newly commissioned works than any previous Auckland Triennial and one of these installations is Scandinavian collective Learning Site’s The House of Economy – a work that requires return visits.

A self-composting structure that rises between the street entrance of the Auckland Art Gallery’s Lorne and Wellesley Streets corner, and first floors of the exhibition space. Scandinavian commentator Lars Bang Larsen describes it in the catalogue as a building that “parasites itself...a host body for an ecological system of disintegration, consisting of mushrooms and mycelium that feed on clay and straw”.

The group’s primary interest is in examining the conditions of local economies and ecologies, the ‘re-imagination of social space…’

Learning Site’s Rikke Luther will be in New Zealand as St PAUL ST/AUT artist in residence and will participate in opening week events along with other International artists: Zheng Bo (China), Mahmoud Bakhshi (Iran), Shahab Fotouhi (Iran), Laresa Kosloff (Australia), Tom Nicholson (Australia), Mike Parr (Australia), Garrett Phelan (Ireland), Bundith Phunsombatlert (Thailand) and Tove Storch (Denmark).

At ARTSPACE Laresa Kosloff shows examples of risk and adventure taken from daily life that are visually enjoyable and entertaining. The Australian artist combines an interest in comedic performance and the choreographed movement of the sportsperson with an appreciation for the “formal strictness of abstraction”.

Another Australian, senior practitioner Mike Parr has had three works chosen from his 1970s portfolio. Showing at the George Fraser Gallery, Three weeks annual leave, 1971-2, is a good example of Parr’s art practice being a fusion of live art and time-based media forms and his adventurous use of these forms.

Indian artist Shilpta Gupta’s ‘Singing Cloud’ captivates for many reasons.

Based on research into the psychology of fear and prejudice undertaken in conjunction with philosopher Noam Chomsky and psychologist Mahzarin Banaji, Singing Cloud and the splitflap board sign (like an airport sign with language phrases) was produced after the Bombay terrorist bombings of 2008.

Installed at the Auckland Art Gallery, the viewer is first drawn in by its acoustic element and then sees the 4000 microphones that create the suspended cloud.

Curator Natasha Conland says that Last Ride is “the total experience, it will sing for people.”

4th Auckland Triennial, Last Ride in a Hot Air Balloon 12 March – 20 June
www.aucklandtriennial.com/