Nau mai, haere mai, welcome to EyeContact. You are invited to respond to reviews and contribute to discussion by registering to participate.

JH

Fabulous Museum Sampler

AA
View Discussion
'He Putunga Taonga / Collections & Connections'. Part of 'Te Whiwhinga the Imaginarium' display on Level 1 of Auckland War Memorial Museum. 'He Putunga Taonga / Collections & Connections'. Part of 'Te Whiwhinga the Imaginarium' display on Level 1 of Auckland War Memorial Museum. 'He Putunga Taonga / Collections & Connections'. Part of 'Te Whiwhinga the Imaginarium' display on Level 1 of Auckland War Memorial Museum. 'He Putunga Taonga / Collections & Connections'. Part of 'Te Whiwhinga the Imaginarium' display on Level 1 of Auckland War Memorial Museum. 'He Putunga Taonga / Collections & Connections'. Part of 'Te Whiwhinga the Imaginarium' display on Level 1 of Auckland War Memorial Museum. 'He Putunga Taonga / Collections & Connections'. Part of 'Te Whiwhinga the Imaginarium' display on Level 1 of Auckland War Memorial Museum. 'He Putunga Taonga / Collections & Connections'. Part of 'Te Whiwhinga the Imaginarium' display on Level 1 of Auckland War Memorial Museum.

The bright white bank of lightboxes darkens the colours, turning all displayed items into intricate silhouettes, but amongst the seats on the opposite wall are three computer stations with touch screens, so you can quickly access information about all the extraordinary mini-collections that are before you—not only through brief concise texts, but also through a selection of detailed coloured images.

Auckland

 

Selection of items from the Collections

 

He Putunga Taonga / Collections & Connections

 

Part of Te Whiwhinga the Imaginarium display on Level 1

 

From 5 June 2021 on

Ostensibly for children—but really for anyone who wants to learn more about the natural and cultural worlds they share the planet with—this exhilarating presentation of several hundred variously sized artefacts, animals, plants and minerals, cleverly exploits a large wall of 74 butted together, stacked-up, glowing white light boxes as a backdrop.

That darkens the colours, turning all displayed items into intricate silhouettes, but amongst the seats on the opposite wall are three computer stations with touch screens, so you can quickly access information about all the extraordinary mini-collections that are before you—not only through brief concise texts, but also through a selection of detailed coloured images.

Playful, eccentric, and sometimes Surreal with its unpredictable juxtapositions, this show can be seen as a form of Installation Art, where museum staff as selecting curators become artists. The objects don’t have to be human-made.

In the room we can discover: bottled giant stick insects; beautifully woven flax baskets; nifty ceramic jugs; jars of colour-sorted M & M’s; a Thai headdress; a pair of snowshoes; a porcupine fish; an elephant-hide shield; a Chinese chess set; a crocodile skull; amongst lines of tiny beetles a child’s castle-siege catapult; a hilarious ceramic tank teapot from WW1; some Reuben Paterson sequin covered gourds; a Lego spaceship; a model of a clipper sailing ship; flax fishing lures; a lugubrious moose head; a gorgeous Kaimanawa horse; an intricate eel trap; a turtle; a bottled octopus; pieces of black obsidian glass; small jars of coloured sand; a wrinkled coral ‘brain’; wonky towers that are homes for bi-valve molluscs; a grumpy textile hog…and more… Lots more.

This is such a great display. It extols the introductory premise that ‘Collecting things can help us understand the world.’ Accordingly the labels and images on computer are essential to spend time with. It is great fun to dig around.

Try and visit during the week when attendance numbers are lowest. An enthralling experience.

John Hurrell

Print | Facebook | Twitter | Email

 

This Discussion has 1 comment.

Comment

Roy Good, 8:38 p.m. 29 April, 2022

John, you're absolutely right about the new gallery at Auckland Museum, one of the best displays I've seen in a long time, visually delightful and so visitor friendly.

Your review of the Thornley works at Gowlangsford says it all - a beautiful body of work from a much under rated artist. These paintings were great to re-visit and be reminded of his contribution to NZ abstraction.

Reply to this thread

Recent Posts by John Hurrell

JH
Installation of Bambury and May works at Sumer

Wall-Reflected vs Frontal, Directly-Radiating Colour

SUMER

Stephen Bambury & Anne-Marie May

 

The Still Point of the Turning World

 

26 March - 26 April 2025

JH
Virginia Leonard, Eating with Blue Blood and Village Knickers, 2025, clay, resin and lustre, 400 x 500mm plus ceramic tray.

Leonard’s Aesthetic….Hmm?

GOW LANGSFORD GALLERY

Virginia Leonard

 

The Wedding Breakfast: An Ode to Olly

 

26 March - 19 April 2025

JH
George Watson, Fields 3, detail,  hand dyed silk, fence batons, staples, 2300 x 230 mm overall

George Watson at Coastal Signs

COASTAL SIGNS

George Watson

 

The Farm

 

7 March - 12 April 2025

JH
Laith McGregor, S.O.S., 2025, clay and enamel, dimensions variable.

Performing Magic (with Anxiety)

STARKWHITE

Laith McGregor

 


Long Days, Longer Nights

 


15 March - 15 April 2025