What’s On: Excellent Exhibitions, Pottery Workshops & More Good Things For The Weekend

Tour the busy and vital arts scene, say a summer farewell and enjoy an eco-friendly and extra-sparkly night sky.

Engage with a vibrant exhibition

Queen Fiapoto: switch, code, reverse is now on after a warm opening night at Tautai on Karangahape Rd, presenting an “exercise in agency” from five young Samoan artists. The exhibition, born from the collaboration of the Malae/Co collective, works across several different disciplines. The exhibition includes vibrant paintings, photography and interactive wall pieces. Malae/Co posits that the project seeks to “redefine the act of code-switching and unpack the need to wear masks” in everyday settings. The exhibition runs until May 6.

Take a moment to pause

Unbeautiful evening, an exhibition by Andy Leleisi’uao, will open this Saturday at Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery. The artist was one of the many people affected by the January flooding, with his South Auckland home and studio damaged by the rising waters. In this unique showing, Leleisi’uao will present his flood-damaged works in what’s sure to be an emotional and reflective collection. Te Uru Director, Andrew Clifford, says, “Andy’s work offers significant insights into the realities of life in the South Auckland community of Māngere, including for migrant and diaspora communities.” The exhibition will run throughout the autumn season at Te Uru.

See some significant activist photography

Dr Cat Pause, who passed away in March last year, was an influential academic working in the fat activism space. Substantia Jones, an activist photographer, took many Fat Liberation pictures that Dr Pause kept in her private collection. The Square Edge gallery in Palmerston North is host to I Love Ya, You Fat B**ch, which is exhibiting these photos in celebration of Dr Pause’s life and work. The exhibition closes on March 30.

This weekend, the entire Cuba precinct of Te-Whanganui-a-Tara is being taken over by the otherworldly CubaDupa festival. The accessible arts event will reach across 40 different creative zones, hosting a huge lineup of artists and musicians, including Theia, Koizilla & Dale Kerrigan, Proteins of Magic, Somi Kim and Pati AF, among others.

You can start curating a plan through the online programme by picking a persona that matches your desired experience — from adventurer to performer, chiller, whānau and dynamo.

Enjoy pearls of wisdom

Oyster Workshop is a strategic creative consultancy that focuses on combining professional results without compromising the importance of holistic wellbeing and connection to culture, geared squarely at uplifting Māori and Pacific creative businesses to thrive, offering them the tools to succeed in the process. As one of only five organisations to receive funding under the recent first round of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage’s highly sought-after Regeneration Fund, things are looking up for directors Sarah Rennie and Kim Tuaine, who have taken their more than 20 years of experience in commercial expertise, governance and legal background to serve our creative Pacific communities and help transform their ideas into stable careers and businesses.

As part of its launch, the organisation is kicking off with an art exhibition that places the spotlight firmly on this mission. Taking place at Depot Artspace from April 1-26, the Oyster & Moon Exhibition is a collective of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa creatives who have created work that honours their ancestors as they navigate the waters of their future.

Included in the line-up of diverse practitioners are Keva Rands of Papa Clothing, Lissy and Rudi Robinson Cole of Lissy Cole Designs, Amy Lautogo of Infamy Apparel, Jeanine Clarkin, Koloa Jewellery, Tui Emma Gillies and more. Find out more about the Oyster & Moon Exhibition at Depot.org.nz

Explore the Korean Culture Festival

From tomorrow, the Korean Culture in Auckland Festival will kick off in the High St District, with music acts, retail stalls, chef showcases and oodles of food and drink gracing the inner city. This year’s festival was born out of the success of K-fest in 2021 and 2022. There is over a week of events taking place, with a Korean street food market opening the celebration on Friday, from noon-9pm on O’Connell St.

This weekend, Auckland Arts Festival brings a night-time spectacle to Pukekawa (the Domain). Spark is an “environmentally friendly” light display, which releases biodegradable materials into the air to create small sparks that rise and fall with the natural air currents. The technology has travelled to Bilbao and London, and these events will be the first showings in the Southern Hemisphere. The event is free, though you’ll need to arrange tickets before arriving.

Enjoy a double bill at the theatre

The Court Theatre in Christchurch has two major shows opening this weekend. Be Like Billy and Rēwena are lined up for a double bill, giving audiences the pleasure of enjoying two back-to-back nights of theatre.

Be Like Billy is a new work by Rutene Spooner, which will explore his personal relationship with his childhood hero (and New Zealand comedy icon) Billy T. James. Spooner seeks to explore what “Māori showmanship” looks like today in his musical-comedy act, unpacking how things might have changed since Billy’s defining work in the 80s.

Rēwena, written by Whiti Hereaka, will explore the “beliefs, traditions and personal memories” that arise from the creation and consumption of bread. This story unfolds through an invitation to central character Maggie’s home, where the intimate domestic space opens up to a complex emotional world.

Wander a new arrival at Auckland Museum

Toró: é tudo tanto: It’s all so much is an exhibition comprised of artworks and interactive pieces, created and curated by more than 71 artists of Brazilian heritage in Aotearoa New Zealand. This week, it opened for a four-month showing in the grand foyer and Te Taunga Community Hub of the Auckland Museum.

A statement from the artists highlights the gallery’s “torrent of images, words, sounds, sensations, meanings and artistic expressions”, inviting visitors to explore and “reflect on otherness and its contradictions”. The exhibition houses a wide range of media and objects, including photography, paintings, mixed media collages, audio-visual presentations, interactive puzzles, sculptures and ceramics. The exhibition’s title Toró, translates to “downpour”, and the diversity of expression throughout the exhibition highlights the many multiplicities of Brazilian being and culture.

Connect with a kiln

On March 26 and 28, Crushes will be hosting a beginner-friendly pottery workshop, led by ceramicist Debbie Joanne Harris. Whether you’re a total beginner or a more confident potter, these classes will be a cool chance to refine some key skills and relax into a soothing, grounding practice. The workshop will be held at Crushes on Karangahape Rd and tickets are $65.

Party in the Auckland Domain

More than seven hours of uber-danceable live electronic music is set to play in Tāmaki Makaurau on April 1, at Synthony in the Domain. The line-up for the music festival has now been announced and there are some major acts on board, like Kimbra, Sir Dave Dobbyn, Sachi, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and Shapeshifter. There are two stages, a food and wine village and a VIP garden set to pop up in the Domain, and you’ll be able to organise the day you want — cruisy or crazy.

Bid summer days adieu

To properly mark the end of summer, “a trio of Frenchies” have come together to organise a celebration. Aix rosé will host ‘One Day in Provence’ at The Cloud this Saturday, gathering up to 1000 people for a luscious and leisurely lunch by the waterfront. The dress code asks guests to wear shades of pink and white, and the meal will be served over five hours. It’s a lovely opportunity for a final fresh summer wine.

BOOK AHEAD

Bookmark an upcoming festival

The Auckland Writers Festival is set to return to the city from May 16-21, hosting local and international authors, journalists, poets and more. It’s a major celebration of literary talent, as well as a space for interrogating and reimagining storytelling. A few highlights on the packed programme include Jenny Odell (Saving Time), Gabrielle Zevin (Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow), Albert Cho (@Eatlitfood), Colson Whitehead (The Underground Railroad), as well as exciting panels discussing social media, finance, artificial intelligence, activism, young adult genre and so much more. Tickets are on sale from March 24 at 9am.

Get set for delicious vegan kai

Victoria Park will play host to the Vegan Food Truck Festival on April 2, as the Food Truck Collective brings the most delectable vegan-friendly eats to Tāmaki Makaurau. Among the many trucks visiting will be Vege Bang Bang, Lulus, Double Dutch Fries, Hash and Smash, Pioneer Pie and The Rolling Pin. The event will also host live music and entertainment, with performances from DJ Arivan, Brother & Sister Synth Band and double act Lee Gray & Thabani Gapara, alongside an onsite bar. The event will run from 10am-5pm and tickets are $5 (children under 12 attend for free).

Sign up for gardening workshops

If you’d like to connect a little more with your food and have been meaning to carve out some space in your own (or community) garden, there’s an upcoming opportunity to get your hands dirty.

Trish Allen and Guenther Andraschko, experts in Permaculture Design, are set to run their workshop-based course from May 27. Throughout the year, classes will explore seed saving, mushroom growing, fermentation, fruit tree pruning, plant propagating and composting. The course will gather for each class in various locations around Matakana and will include field trips to prominent permaculture sites in the region.

Plan a magical visit to Oz

Glinda and Elphaba will visit Auckland very soon, to tell the capturing story of what happened once upon a time in Oz. Wicked the Musical, which was nominated for 10 Tony Awards in the year of its original debut, will land on the SkyCity Theatre stage from March 31 to 22 April. The musical is told in flashback, tracing the steps it took to get to the death of the Wicked Witch of the West at the end of The Wizard of Oz — all is not as it seems.