Space Race Bodies

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Events

The Price of Peace Screening


Space, Race, Bodies II will feature a public screening of The Price of Peace (2015) on Thursday, May 5 at 5pm (Burns Lecture Theatre 2,University of Otago). Directed by investigative journalist Kim Webby,The Price Of Peace is an enlightening and moving portrait of Tūhoe activist, artist and kaumatua Tame Iti, one of the keynote speakers ofthe conference.

The film will be followed by a Q&A session with Tame Iti.

Alistair Guthrie and Tracey Barnett
May 7-18, Dunedin Community Art Gallery

If seeking asylum is having your life pulled up by its roots, then being transplanted to New Zealand soil as a refugee is its regeneration–in all its difficult beauty.


You may not realise that the colleague who sits next to you in the boardroom, the doctor who writes your prescription, or the teacher who cares for your kindergartener, may have begun life in New Zealand as a refugee child themselves (42% of New Zealand’s annual refugee in-take come here as children). How do you honour the rich contribution to New Zealand of the incredibly diverse individuals behind the word ‘refugee’? Moreover, how do you dispel myths around asylum seekers and refugees in New Zealand—a conversation that’s needed now more than ever?

The exhibition feature gorgeous two-metre tall portraits by renowned photographer Alistair Guthrie, and the curated public conversations that surround them, honour the individual behind that label. Dunedin is the launching site for the project which will travel on to other cities throughout New Zealand.

Just as vital as the visual component of this exhibit is the talking space that will be created within the gallery walls during the exhibit’s tenure. Public talks will accompany the exhibition. Guest speakers will discuss our rapidly changing situation in New Zealand, our region, and the world, with refugees invited to give their perspective on the issues at hand and tell their stories in a multi-culturally curated ‘Human Library’. Just as people can ‘check out’ a book—individuals, school groups, church groups, anyone—can sign up to ‘check out’ a person and their life experience as a refugee in this country.


The conference and the exhibition will host a dual launch and reception on May 7, 6.30pm at the Gallery.


The exhibition is funded through donations and volunteer labour. To support the exhibition, donating and sharing our Give-A-Little page on social media is a great start:

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/refugeeportraitproject

Alistair Guthrie, Photographer


For over three decades Alistair Guthrie has been chronicling New Zealand through the pointed beauty of his lens. His award-winning art, design, advertising and editorial work has been featured by major advertising agencies throughout Australasia, and is often seen in Metro, North & South, The Listener and Ideologue, among many others.


His lush portraiture work, featured in this project, has captured this country’s best and brightest, ranging from politicians and thinkers (Helen Clark, Dame Ann Salmon), captains of high tech (Bill Gates, Steve Balmer), sportsmen (Richie McCaw, Daniel Carter, Colin Mead), to musicians (Lorde, Tim Finn, Dave Dobbyn), and artists and entertainers (Dick Frizzell, Reese Darby, The Topp Twins), to name just a few.


He has been a featured artist at John Leach Gallery, now Gow Langsford, and most recently was given a fifty-page retrospective of his career in F11photography magazine. He has also been the recipient of the prestigious Brian Blake Memorial prize.


“To have something to offer, to contribute to humanity, to start a discussion, to open eyes, all of which are more difficult is this saturated medium, would be a fine thing.”


His work can be seen on his website at: http://www.alistairguthrie.com