The second iteration of Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa opened on Friday 2 August at Laurel Projects, an artist-run space in Ōtepoti facilitated and funded by Erin Broughton, Lucy Wardle, Kari Schmidt, Jacqui Margetts and Ed Ritchie, with the support of Dunedin City Council and Emerson Brewery.
The three week exhibition programme included an interview upon arrival with Erin Broughton at Radio One, an afternoon of kōrero / kai with Imogen Taylor, Luci McConnon, Leigh Paterson and Catherine Griffiths, chaired by Erin Broughton (3 August), finishing with a poster (making) + risograph (printing) workshop on the final Saturday. A group of design students from Otago Polytechnic’s school of design visited the exhibition, and a silent auction ran for the duration of the show with bids placed on the silk-screen prints raising over $1000. All proceeds go to the publication end of the project (another big project ahead for summer!), with a koha from Designers Speak (Up) and Laurel Projects going to SOUL — Protect Ihumātao.
Chloe Geoghegan contributed an essay, ‘Snakes, Ladders and Tables’, as did Lucy Wardle, with her curatorial text, on behalf of Laurel Projects.
update: Our FINAL Poster Call ended on Sunday 1 September, the first day of Mahuru / Spring, and we thank all participants whose work will be shown collectively in the ongoing iterations of the exhibition — see the posters, read the texts and keep an eye on social media for pics and updates on our programme ahead!
30 April – 24 May / Ramp Gallery, Kirikiriroa
2 – 23 August / Laurel Projects, Ōtepoti
29 August – 15 September / Te Pū o Te Wheke Arts, Kaikohe
18 September – 16 October / Britomart Works on Paper, Tāmaki Makaurau
4 October – 1 November / Ilam Campus Gallery, Ōtautahi
23 October – 23 November / Enjoy Contemporary Art Space, Pōneke

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essay / Snakes, Ladders and Tables / Chloe Geoghegan, July 2019
curatorial text / No longer the exception / Lucy Wardle, August 2019
essay / Broken record / Lana Lopesi, April 2019
curatorial text / This present future / Wendy Richdale, April 2019
radio / Erin Broughton & Catherine Griffiths / Yujin Shin, August 2019
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view / Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa