Screening process
An exhibitionof Asian video art in Wellington embraces New Zealand's closer relationship with its regional neighbours, writes Sue Green
It looks an unlikely place for a significant survey of Asian video art. The beige, art deco lump that is Wellington's City Gallery looms over the New Zealand capital's Civic Square, a stone's throw from its picturesque waterfront.
But looks can be deceptive - since opening in 1980 this gallery has been at the forefront of exhibiting contemporary art in New Zealand. And there's a clue: its dour frontage is illuminated by Fault, a 1994 neon light sculpture by New Zealand artists Bill Culbert and Ralph Hotere, a nod to the city's location on an earthquake fault line.
And now, the gallery is at the forefront of New Zealand's engagement with Asia through the arts. For more than four months it is hosting "Moving on Asia: Towards a New Art Network 2004-2014", an innovative three-part exhibition drawn mostly from the collection of Asian video art housed at Gallery Loop in Seoul.
As well, there are new works from artists represented in the collection and, from April 22 until June 3, the final phase will feature works by 10 New Zealand video artists, to be proposed for inclusion in the Loop archive.
This important collection of more than 200 single-screen videos by 130 artists, selected by 50 curators from the Asia Curators Network, is the brainchild of Loop director Suh Jin-suk. It tours widely, including to Spain and Germany, and was in Hong Kong at ParaSite Gallery three years ago.