New Zealand artist and forger Karl F Sim (left) was with Richard Aslett at the first Fakes & Forgeries event in 2007. Photo / supplied
New Zealand artist and forger Karl F Sim (left) was with Richard Aslett at the first Fakes & Forgeries event in 2007. Photo / supplied
The little SH1 town of Mangaweka opens up to visitors on the first day of Labour Weekend with the 2021 Fakes & Forgeries Festival.
Centred around an art competition at Richard Aslett's Yellow Church Gallery, the festival will include new murals, painting demonstrations, market stalls, a book fair, live music and a village-wide garage sale.
Entry requirements for the art competition have loosened, Aslett said.
The entries are still expected to be an exact replica of a famous original or a copy with a twist.
But this year there are no size restrictions, and the work can have been made at any time provided it has not previously been entered in the competition.
Artists need to get working, Aslett said, and their works must be delivered to the gallery by October 17.
Fakes & Forgeries started in 2007. It is biennial and in its seventh year. In previous years there have been entries from all over New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and United States.
The exhibition is inspired by the life of the late Karl F Sim, an artist born in Mangaweka who went on to forge the works of artists like Colin McCahon, Charles F Goldie and Gaugin.
He is the only convicted forger in New Zealand, and was at the first Fakes & Forgeries exhibition in 2007.
The small town will come alive with the festival, Aslett said. District schools will show their competition entries in the hall, a huge part of the festival.
Mangaweka Heritage will hold a book fair in the fire station, and new resident Cath Ash is organising a village-wide garage sale.
People who don't live in the village but want to have stalls will set up in the museum grounds.
Rangitīkei MP Ian McKelvie was photographed with the winning Fakes & Forgeries entry in 2017. Photo / supplied
Aslett and possibly Marton artist Julie Oliver will give painting demonstrations, painting big murals on boards.
Aslett's band, provisionally called Fredwood Mac, will play at the prizegiving at 1pm, at the Yellow Church Gallery. He's also one of the art work judges.
"It's a bit crazy, but that's the nature of the day," he said.
It's likely to be the biggest day in Mangaweka since the town's 125th celebrations. Mangaweka also holds an annual day for returning former residents - the first Saturday in March.
Aslett needs to know in advance if a work being submitted to the competition is bigger than 1.2m, or is three dimensional. He can be contacted on 027 5266 612.
