The Cultural Mapping Project Exhibition update

The Cultural Mapping Project Exhibition will open in the second week of August 2012. The exhibition will include mapping examples which explore the contributing cultural, social and creative aspects of the New Zealand vernacular and personal/communal identity, experience and expression.

We would like you to get involved!

New maps are conceived every day so why not join in? You don’t have to be an ‘artist’ or a cartographer to make one.

Here are some of the many confirmed features of the exhibition:

Dean Buchanan has produced two maps for the exhibition. Dean’s maps are large oil paintings of Lone Kauri Rd and each, like the road itself, have a special twist. Lone Kauri Rd has been and is home to many other creatives. It was described as “the road roping seaward”, by former resident and New Zealand poet laureate the late Allen Curnow in his poem ‘The Loop In Lone Kauri Rd’ (1985).

Greg Smith’s Lost Property exhibition will be coinciding with the mapping exhibition. Lost Property provides an in-depth insight into the New Zealand’s vernacular architecture. This is his third installation in a series on the subject.

Above L-R Details from: Raymond Ching's 'Ark'(2005), Don Binney's 'Man's Head from Te Henga III', Bill Hammond's'Camoflage'(1997),Detail from Raymond Ching's Apteryx Australis

Alice Tyler is producing a map based on the subject of her Master’s thesis, the symbolism of birds in New Zealand painting with an emphasis on the work of Don Binney, Raymond Ching and Bill Hammond. Alice’s map will take a spectacular three dimensional installation form.

Alex Taylor is producing a map which looks at the connecting influences of seminal New Zealand composers. Alex is considering an audio visual presentation of his mapping project. The diagram above was produced by Alex while we interviewed him as a way of explaining these connecting influences in a chronological order.

There are many other mapping examples being produced and we will be posting updates on these works in the lead up to the exhibition so stay tuned!

A series of cultural mapping interviews has begun and we will shortly be releasing video episodes on Youtube.com via The Depot Films’ channel. Episodes coming up feature artist Dean Buchanan, poet Maree Scarlett, artist/curator John Coley, musician Debbie Harwood, historian Debbie Knowles and composer Alex Taylor.

It’s never too late to produce your own cultural map and if your map is not produced in time to be included in the exhibition there is now the opportunity for it to be displayed at The National Vernacular Museum.

Please feel free to distribute this information. If you have any inquiries contact Project Co-ordinator Erin Forsyth by phoning (09) 963-2331 or emailing erin.forsyth@depotartspace.co.nz