Event noticeboard: Wry humour, train rides and music in the gallery
The Spinoff's top picks of events from around the motu.
In many ways it is a curse to be the person in the family who is supposed to know about art. When I go to art galleries with my mum, she will, without fail, ask me what an artwork means. It might be an abstract painting full of nice colours, a sandwich board sculpture or a poetic video work of bodies swimming through water. It used to bug me, since it is hard to articulate a clean and tidy answer, especially if you can only really guess. Sometimes the only thing you can say is it's a painting about paint, which can come across as a tight-lipped, opaque answer.
Recently I've spotted myself doing essentially the same thing. Before spending time with an artwork, I will look for the information label and glean all possible fact and interpretation from it. I might even pick up the printed leaflet and hold it between me and the work. There's a comfort in thinking that we can know and understand something, but it's a little boring. There's no room for new things to make their way into our brain.
This week I'm spotlighting a festival that I don't quite understand. I'm going to one of the performances, and even though I've read the description three times I'm not sure what it is. I've decided that's a good thing.
Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Avenue, Auckland Central
June 11-14
$0 – $35
Even the F.O.L.A festival's website is a little perplexing. Strange symbols pop up and follow around your cursor, the event listings are on little piled up cards that you can move around the screen and the logo is barely readable (but very trendy). F.O.L.A is a festival for experimental live art – the event roster includes things like a free workshop on creating immersive psychedelic worlds with light and liquid, a walk in the rain accompanied by a soundtrack, an outdoor exhibition called Fleapit and a terrifying-looking performance called Glory Whole. There's nudity, swearing and elements of chaos.
So why spotlight this strange, and maybe rude, thing? Well, its one of the only festivals in the country which is run by artists (Nisha Madhan, Julia Croft, Nahyeon Lee, and Hannah Moore) and I like that the events are so different to anything else. It really may be your one chance to carry a mysterious box around in the rain, watch artists reverse-mine copper or be guided on how to survive the necropolis.
Kerikeri
Music: Delaney Davidson Anniversary Tour
Turner Centre, 43 Cobham Rd, Kerikeri
7pm Saturday, June 12
$45
The singer-songwriter from Lyttelton is sure to bring a night of wry humour, some theatre of unease and bangers from his extensive back catalogue.
Doubtless Bay
Dance: The Belle Epoque Ball
Mangōnui Hall, 132 Waterfront Drive, Mangōnui, Doubtless Bay
6pm Saturday, June 14
$15 and a plate to share
There's a free waltz mini-lesson at 6.30pm and a prize for the most glamorous dancer.
Whangārei
Misc: Train Day
Kiwi North Museum, 500 State Highway 14, Maunu, Whangārei
10am Sunday, June 15
$2.50 per ride
'Catch a ride on a steam train, rumble through the bush on a tram, jump on a jigger, whizz around the miniature train track, or enjoy a nostalgic hayride across the open paddocks.'
Tāmaki Makaurau
Design, art, books: Object Book Fair
Objectspace, 13 Rose Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland
11am Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 June
Free
There will be hundreds of beautiful and unusual books you won't see anywhere else!
THE APARTMENT, 202 Karangahape Road, Auckland
7:30pm Thursday, June 12
$20 (profits donated toward relief aid in Gaza)
Check out the city's newest venue. Tonight it will be filled with psychedelic noise soundscapes and powerful acoustic songs.
Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Avenue, Auckland Central
6:30pm Saturday, June 14
$30 – $40
As part of the F.O.L.A festival, artists will attempt to reverse-mine community e-waste for copper, preparing it to shoot back from whence it came. Bring along your old cables!
Hawke's Bay
Music: Devilskin, Re-Evolution tour
Opera House, Toitoi, 109 Hastings Street South, Eastbourne Corner, Hastings
6:30pm Friday, June 13
$85.50
Devilskin have earned a reputation for bringing fierce energy and compelling presence to the stage, particularly amongst hard rock and metal fans.
New Plymouth
Raglan
Fundraiser: Beanies for Koha
Harbourview Hotel, 14 Bow Street, Raglan
10am Saturday, June 14
Free / Koha towards Raglan St John Ambulance for a beanie
If I was in town I'd run not walk to get the beanie with the biggest pompom.
Te Whanganui-a-Tara
2pm Sunday, June 15
$15
Join a special Matariki raranga (weaving) session lead by Frank Topia (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Haua) and Linda Lee (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Huia, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāi Tākoto, Te Rarawa, Te Aupōri, Ngāpuhi).
The Dowse, 45 Laings Road, Hutt Central, Lower Hutt
3:30pm Friday, June 13
Free, RSVP appreciated
As part of the spooky exhibition The Brood, Birdparty will play their dark body-moving music in the gallery.
Marlborough
Photography: Te Ara o Hine Rēhia, Melissa Banks
Marlborough Art Gallery, 15 High Street, Blenheim
Free
An exhibition of photographs that document four different kapa haka groups from Te Tauihu over six years.
Greymouth
Workshop: Kōwhaiwhai with Ruby
Left Bank Art Gallery, 1 Tainui Street, Greymouth
10am Monday, June 16
Koha and kai to share
Registration essential
For more information, pop into the gallery or Whare Manaaki.
Ōtautahi
Space Academy, 371 Saint Asaph Street, Christchurch Central
8pm Friday, June 13
$25 – $30
Join Juno Is and her live band to celebrate the release of her psychedelic dream pop album.
Ōtepoti
Contemporary jeweller Jane Dodd will discuss her current exhibition, The Kingdom, which invites viewers to explore the intricate connections between species.
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"But doing it away from my whānau so I can mess up without them all laughing at me," she said. "I've also got three young kids who've really embraced te reo at school, so I figured that I need to up my game. The kids laughed at me when I said I was doing this. So I'm out to prove them wrong as well, that mama can do it." As for Jacqui Cox, her mother was barred from speaking te reo at school, and she was part of the generation that grew up without the language. Now the newly retired Whangārei Hospital nurse was finally making up for lost time. "I decided to make a retirement bucket list. And at the top of that list was kapa haka. It's something I've wanted to do for a long, long time, so here I am, and I'm loving it," she said. Learning the poi is one of the biggest challenges in the Ngāti Rēhia Community Kapa Haka programme. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Anna Dadson said she worked alone in her landscaping business, so she was looking for connection. "I've been craving team and community, and kapa haka appealed because it was out of my comfort zone so it's a challenge for myself to practise practising … and just coming together as a collective to sing and create joy and harmony just feeds my heart." Blake Nock, who last did kapa haka as a schoolboy, said he wanted to rejuvenate the mauri [life force] within himself. "But also to get another haka under my belt. I love it. I love the energy and the mauri that it gives me." Amanda Bates joined up because she wasn't sure she'd get another chance like it, given "the way things are shifting in Aotearoa". She also wanted to set an example for her children. "I wanted to show my kids that it's never too late to step up, give something a go, and be proud of who we are. Being part of kapa haka helps me support them when they come home from kura with their own waiata, so we're learning and growing together in te Ao Māori." Ngāti Rēhia Community Kapa Haka founder Rawi Pere is the heart of the eight-week programme. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Tash Wharerau was raised in a religion where kapa haka was effectively forbidden, so she was also making up for lost time. "But mostly I just love to sing. I love waiata and I wanted the chance to learn kapa haka. Ngāti Rehia are very gentle and welcoming and all-encompassing of everybody." Eighty-year-old Neil Hawkins, the oldest member of the group, was also motivated by a love of singing. He joined with his wife, Maureen, and refused to miss a session even as he was recovering from surgery. "We never had music in our family growing up, we never sang. So we're having a late run at getting into music in our golden years," he said. Guitar maestro Danny Kaiawe - who once played in a heavy metal band - says he tries to bring his own unique style to kapa haka. 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Event noticeboard: Wry humour, train rides and music in the gallery
The Spinoff's top picks of events from around the motu. In many ways it is a curse to be the person in the family who is supposed to know about art. When I go to art galleries with my mum, she will, without fail, ask me what an artwork means. It might be an abstract painting full of nice colours, a sandwich board sculpture or a poetic video work of bodies swimming through water. It used to bug me, since it is hard to articulate a clean and tidy answer, especially if you can only really guess. Sometimes the only thing you can say is it's a painting about paint, which can come across as a tight-lipped, opaque answer. Recently I've spotted myself doing essentially the same thing. Before spending time with an artwork, I will look for the information label and glean all possible fact and interpretation from it. I might even pick up the printed leaflet and hold it between me and the work. There's a comfort in thinking that we can know and understand something, but it's a little boring. There's no room for new things to make their way into our brain. This week I'm spotlighting a festival that I don't quite understand. I'm going to one of the performances, and even though I've read the description three times I'm not sure what it is. I've decided that's a good thing. Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Avenue, Auckland Central June 11-14 $0 – $35 Even the F.O.L.A festival's website is a little perplexing. Strange symbols pop up and follow around your cursor, the event listings are on little piled up cards that you can move around the screen and the logo is barely readable (but very trendy). F.O.L.A is a festival for experimental live art – the event roster includes things like a free workshop on creating immersive psychedelic worlds with light and liquid, a walk in the rain accompanied by a soundtrack, an outdoor exhibition called Fleapit and a terrifying-looking performance called Glory Whole. There's nudity, swearing and elements of chaos. So why spotlight this strange, and maybe rude, thing? Well, its one of the only festivals in the country which is run by artists (Nisha Madhan, Julia Croft, Nahyeon Lee, and Hannah Moore) and I like that the events are so different to anything else. It really may be your one chance to carry a mysterious box around in the rain, watch artists reverse-mine copper or be guided on how to survive the necropolis. Kerikeri Music: Delaney Davidson Anniversary Tour Turner Centre, 43 Cobham Rd, Kerikeri 7pm Saturday, June 12 $45 The singer-songwriter from Lyttelton is sure to bring a night of wry humour, some theatre of unease and bangers from his extensive back catalogue. Doubtless Bay Dance: The Belle Epoque Ball Mangōnui Hall, 132 Waterfront Drive, Mangōnui, Doubtless Bay 6pm Saturday, June 14 $15 and a plate to share There's a free waltz mini-lesson at 6.30pm and a prize for the most glamorous dancer. Whangārei Misc: Train Day Kiwi North Museum, 500 State Highway 14, Maunu, Whangārei 10am Sunday, June 15 $2.50 per ride 'Catch a ride on a steam train, rumble through the bush on a tram, jump on a jigger, whizz around the miniature train track, or enjoy a nostalgic hayride across the open paddocks.' Tāmaki Makaurau Design, art, books: Object Book Fair Objectspace, 13 Rose Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland 11am Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 June Free There will be hundreds of beautiful and unusual books you won't see anywhere else! THE APARTMENT, 202 Karangahape Road, Auckland 7:30pm Thursday, June 12 $20 (profits donated toward relief aid in Gaza) Check out the city's newest venue. Tonight it will be filled with psychedelic noise soundscapes and powerful acoustic songs. Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Avenue, Auckland Central 6:30pm Saturday, June 14 $30 – $40 As part of the F.O.L.A festival, artists will attempt to reverse-mine community e-waste for copper, preparing it to shoot back from whence it came. Bring along your old cables! Hawke's Bay Music: Devilskin, Re-Evolution tour Opera House, Toitoi, 109 Hastings Street South, Eastbourne Corner, Hastings 6:30pm Friday, June 13 $85.50 Devilskin have earned a reputation for bringing fierce energy and compelling presence to the stage, particularly amongst hard rock and metal fans. New Plymouth Raglan Fundraiser: Beanies for Koha Harbourview Hotel, 14 Bow Street, Raglan 10am Saturday, June 14 Free / Koha towards Raglan St John Ambulance for a beanie If I was in town I'd run not walk to get the beanie with the biggest pompom. Te Whanganui-a-Tara 2pm Sunday, June 15 $15 Join a special Matariki raranga (weaving) session lead by Frank Topia (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Haua) and Linda Lee (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Huia, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāi Tākoto, Te Rarawa, Te Aupōri, Ngāpuhi). The Dowse, 45 Laings Road, Hutt Central, Lower Hutt 3:30pm Friday, June 13 Free, RSVP appreciated As part of the spooky exhibition The Brood, Birdparty will play their dark body-moving music in the gallery. Marlborough Photography: Te Ara o Hine Rēhia, Melissa Banks Marlborough Art Gallery, 15 High Street, Blenheim Free An exhibition of photographs that document four different kapa haka groups from Te Tauihu over six years. Greymouth Workshop: Kōwhaiwhai with Ruby Left Bank Art Gallery, 1 Tainui Street, Greymouth 10am Monday, June 16 Koha and kai to share Registration essential For more information, pop into the gallery or Whare Manaaki. Ōtautahi Space Academy, 371 Saint Asaph Street, Christchurch Central 8pm Friday, June 13 $25 – $30 Join Juno Is and her live band to celebrate the release of her psychedelic dream pop album. Ōtepoti Contemporary jeweller Jane Dodd will discuss her current exhibition, The Kingdom, which invites viewers to explore the intricate connections between species.
