The buildings notice me
Megan Brady
Doreen Blumhardt
Brook Konia
John Harris & Steven Junil Park
Roy Cowan
Mataaho Collective
Jim Murphy
Curated by Sophie Thorn
12 July – 22 September 2024
The buildings notice me is a selection of meditative works that invite us to slow down and reflect on the reciprocal relationship between our built environment and lived experience. Soft, sonic, and ceramic these works help us to pause, and study the way we take up space. These ideas are explored through an eclectic grouping including relocated former site-specific ceramic pieces, large-scale fabric works, carving and sonic installations. Several of the works draw specifically on the pūrākau, me ngā kete o te wānanga, the obtaining of the three baskets of knowledge, others meditate on what it is a space might ask of us, or in the case of the ceramics extracted from the Karori Teachers College, some hold the memory of a building within them.
Set within the university context and considering both the physical and conceptual framework of a learning institution, one that is currently undertaking its own Living Building Challenge, we might consider the whakataukī, used in relation to another living building Te Kura Whare as built by Tūhoe in 2013 - ‘Ka hanga whare te tangata, ka hanga tangata te whare’ - the people shape the whare, the whare shapes the people. What are the embedded histories and potential futures of the structures we share? How can we both preserve our history while moving forward; can we unpick threads to relearn knowledge? What is kept and when do we start anew?
The buildings notice me is staged concurrently with the exhibition Duncan Winder: architectural photographs.
Megan Brady (Kāi Tahu, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, Pākehā) is a multidisciplinary artist working across fields of sculpture, installation, object making and sound. Sonic and sensory, her work often responds to dimensions, patterns, navigation and sites. She draws details together to intimately connect to an environment, inviting others to do the same. Previous exhibitions include A quiet corner where we can talk, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, 2018; Lay in Measures with Ed Ritchie, Enjoy Contemporary Art Space, 2020; Paemanu: Tauraka Toi, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, 2021-22; Te Hā, The Physics Room, 2023; and At home, Te Ara Ātea, 2023. Her work was recently included in the large group show Springtime is Heartbreak at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, 2023-24. She is currently lives and works in Ōtepoti Dunedin.
Doreen Blumhardt (1914-2009) was born in Whangarei. She attended the Christchurch Teachers College, University and Arts School, 1934 to 1939. Between 1942 and 1948 she was appointed by Director of Education, C. E. Beeby to help rethink the teaching of art and craft education in primary schools throughout New Zealand. From 1949-1950 she studied art education in Britain with the assistance of the British Council. During this time, she represented New Zealand at a UNESCO meeting of art education experts. In 1951 she was appointed Head of the Art and Craft Department at Wellington Teachers College, a post which she retained until 1972 when she retired to pursue her own work as a potter. In 1981 she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to art. In 2003 she was named a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to pottery and art education and in 2007 was made a Member of the Order of New Zealand and in 2009 was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Blumhardt has left a lasting legacy on the arts and crafts scene in New Zealand. In 2003 she formed the Blumhardt Foundation which through the Dowse Art Museum and Creative New Zealand offers a Curatorial Internship focussing on decorative arts and design.
Brook Konia (Ngāti Porou, Kōtimana, Pākehā) takes a relational approach to objects and happenings in his art making. It has a lot to do with conversation, and that understanding something doesn't always come instantaneously. Patience, care and a willingness to see the world through another's eyes are important virtues in Konia’s practice. He communicates with the materials he uses through psychometry, trusting that truths, facts and beliefs can become known of anything, given time. Along with his art making, Konia is an art curator and writer with a focus on contemporary Māori art. In 2023 he completed a Masters of Māori Visual Arts at Massey University’s Toioho ki Āpiti. Tūrangahakoa was first exhibited as part of the Matatau 22 exhibition at Te Manawa in Palmerston North. He has recently taken on the role of Programme Lead at Quarry Art Centre, Whangārei.
John Harris began work as an electrician and moved into mechanical and electrical design. Based in Ōtautahi he trades as Johnny Electric Ltd a company specialising in designing and building record cutting devices and record cutting machines. His process is iterative and focused on re-
designing and recreating older technology with modern manufacturing processes. Other projects have included mechanical prop design and building but he has recently been applying his approach to artworks in collaboration with his partner Steven. Their collaborations have been included in The Fading Memory of the Scribe at Public Record in Tāmaki Makaurau 2023 and Springtime is Heartbreak at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū in Ōtautahi 2023-2024.
Steven Junil Park is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Ōtautahi of South Korean descent. Working under the label 6x4 he produces all manner of functional objects with a focus on clothing and textiles. These one-off pieces feature recycled, repurposed, or vintage materials, valuing resourcefulness and the memory of materials. His practice is heavily process-based, where materials come alive while being worked to create a language to commune with the intangible. Garments by Park have appeared in music videos by Aldous Harding and Tiny Ruins, and on stage for Scenes from a Yellow Peril by Nathan Joe. Recent exhibitions have included, The Wind in my Garment at Season Aotearoa and Cook and Company at Objectspace, in Tāmaki Makaurau in 2023.
Roy Cowan MBE CNZM (1918-2006, Ngāpuhi, Te Atiawa) was born in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. He studied at Wellington Teachers’ College from 1937-38. From 1940 to 1945 he served in the New Zealand Fleet Air Farm, for which he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1945. He spent two years teaching before becoming a full-time artist in 1948. In 1959 he transitioned to being a fulltime ceramic artist. He became known as one of New Zealand’s most accomplished ceramic artists, with significant knowledge and expertise in kiln design. Cowan held many prominent positions in the arts, acting as commissioner for Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs, and serving on the Council of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. He exhibited at the 1970 World Expo in Osaka, Japan, work is held in several major collections including the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Togarewa, The Dowse Art Museum and Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu. Cowan was made a companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to pottery in 2000.
Mataaho Collective is a collaboration between Erena Arapere-Baker (Te Atiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa Rangātira), Sarah Hudson (Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Pūkeko), Bridget Reweti (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi) and Terri Te Tau (Rangitāne ki Wairarapa), who produce works with a single authorship in what they describe as a “four brain, eight-hand approach”. Established in 2012, their practice centres around large-scale fibrous installations grounded in the contemporary realities of mātauranga Māori. They were among the first group of artists from Aotearoa to participate in documenta in 2017 and have presented work at the Royal Academy of Art in London, 2018; the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, 2019; the Dhaka Art Summit in Bangladesh, 2020; and the 14th Gwangju Biennale in South Korea, 2023. They won the Walter’s Prize in 2021, in collaboration with Maureen Lander. In 2024 they were awarded Golden Lion for Best Participant in the International Exhibition at the 60th Venice Biennale.
Jim Murphy was born in New Mexico. He completed his undergraduate degree in Music Technology at the Herb Alpert School of Music at California Institute of the Arts, and in 2015 completed his PhD at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington where he is now a Senior Lecturer in Sonic Arts/Music Technology at New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī. His recent work focuses on new mechatronic and robotic instrument design and use and includes the development of an ensemble of expressive and parametrically-rich mechatronic instruments and schemes by which composers and musicians may interface with these devices. He is interested in the interdisciplinary aspects of new musical instrument design, and his kinetic sound sculptures have been shown internationally. His work has recently been exhibited at Ars Electronica: Garden Aotearoa 2022, Linz, Austria, interference [dac], Wellington Lux festival 2017, and Axis, The Arts House Singapore, 2017. Murphy is now based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
Exterior installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Roy Cowan, Untitled architectural form, 1975, stoneware, limestone glaze with iron oxide, 2600 x 540 x 600 mm. On loan from Wellington Teachers’ College Ceramic Collection, now part of the Faculty of Education, Te Whānau o Ako Pai, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Roy Cowan, Untitled architectural form (detail), 1975, stoneware, limestone glaze with iron oxide, 2600 x 540 x 600 mm. On loan from Wellington Teachers’ College Ceramic Collection, now part of the Faculty of Education, Te Whānau o Ako Pai, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Roy Cowan, Untitled architectural form (detail), 1975, stoneware, limestone glaze with iron oxide, 2600 x 540 x 600 mm. On loan from Wellington Teachers’ College Ceramic Collection, now part of the Faculty of Education, Te Whānau o Ako Pai, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
John Harris & Steven Junil Park, The Round, 2023, cotton, steel, brass, rubber, leather, wood, LED lights, Motor, 3000 x 3500 x 3500 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
John Harris & Steven Junil Park, The Round (detail), 2023, cotton, steel, brass, rubber, leather, wood, LED lights, Motor, 3000 x 3500 x 3500 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
John Harris & Steven Junil Park, The Round (detail), 2023, cotton, steel, brass, rubber, leather, wood, LED lights, Motor, 3000 x 3500 x 3500 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
John Harris & Steven Junil Park, The Round (detail), 2023, cotton, steel, brass, rubber, leather, wood, LED lights, Motor, 3000 x 3500 x 3500 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Doreen Blumhardt in collaboration with students, Uku-paka, 1992, glazed ceramic tiles and glass, 2390 x 3000 x 200 mm. On loan from Wellington Teachers’ College Ceramic Collection, now part of the Faculty of Education, Te Whānau o Ako Pai, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Doreen Blumhardt in collaboration with students, Uku-paka (detail), 1992, glazed ceramic tiles and glass, 2390 x 3000 x 200 mm. On loan from Wellington Teachers’ College Ceramic Collection, now part of the Faculty of Education, Te Whānau o Ako Pai, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Megan Brady, To learn, by leaning into the wind (detail), 2024, heart rimu, thread pulled linen, stone, dimensions variable. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Megan Brady, To learn, by leaning into the wind (detail), 2024, heart rimu, thread pulled linen, stone, dimensions variable. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Megan Brady, To learn, by leaning into the wind (detail), 2024, heart rimu, thread pulled linen, stone, dimensions variable. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Installation view The buildings notice me and Duncan Winder: architectural photographs, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Megan Brady, To learn, by leaning into the wind (detail), 2024, heart rimu, thread pulled linen, stone, dimensions variable. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Megan Brady, To learn, by leaning into the wind (detail), 2024, heart rimu, thread pulled linen, stone, dimensions variable. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Megan Brady, To learn, by leaning into the wind (detail), 2024, heart rimu, thread pulled linen, stone, dimensions variable. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Brook Konia, Tūrangahakoa, 2022, reclaimed timbers: tōtara, rimu, matai and pine, 850 x 905 x 15 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Brook Konia, Tūrangahakoa, (detail) 2022, reclaimed timbers: tōtara, rimu, matai and pine, 850 x 905 x 15 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Mataaho Collective, Te Whare Pora, 2012, woven faux mink blanket, 10 x 5.24 m, Ngā Puhipuhi o Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Art Collection, purchased 2019. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Mataaho Collective, Te Whare Pora (detail), 2012, woven faux mink blanket, 10 x 5.24 m, Ngā Puhipuhi o Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Art Collection, purchased 2019. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Mataaho Collective, Te Whare Pora (detail), 2012, woven faux mink blanket, 10 x 5.24 m, Ngā Puhipuhi o Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Art Collection, purchased 2019. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Jim Murphy, Machine Song: Gesture 2, brass rods and steel ball bearings with mechanical apparatus, 1520 x 1940 x 210 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Jim Murphy, Machine Song: Gesture 2 (detail), brass rods and steel ball bearings with mechanical apparatus, 1520 x 1940 x 210 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Jim Murphy, Machine Song: Gesture 2 (detail), brass rods and steel ball bearings with mechanical apparatus, 1520 x 1940 x 210 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Jim Murphy, Machine Song: Gesture 3, metal and electromechanical components, 2000 x 2000 x 100 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Jim Murphy, Machine Song: Gesture 3 (detail), metal and electromechanical components, 2000 x 2000 x 100 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Jim Murphy, Machine Song: Gesture 3 (detail), metal and electromechanical components, 2000 x 2000 x 100 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Jim Murphy, Machine Song: Gesture 3 (detail), metal and electromechanical components, 2000 x 2000 x 100 mm. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Megan Brady, To learn, by leaning into the wind, (detail) 2024, heart rimu, thread pulled linen, stone, dimensions variable. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Installation view The buildings notice me and Duncan Winder: architectural photographs, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.
Megan Brady, To learn, by leaning into the wind, (detail), 2024, heart rimu, thread pulled linen, stone, dimensions variable. Installation view The buildings notice me, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.