‘Sweet As’ and ‘More than looking’

Published 12 November 2009, Posted in Northland

A Disabilityart@ccess Exhibition - 3rd November to 6th December at the Whangarei Art Museum and curated by Scott Potham

View Visit and Experience this sound ‘popping’ - sweet smelling and multi-sensory installation of luscious confectionary colours and an accompanying collections-based exhibition designed for sight-affected and disabled art enthusiasts.

Come smell the spring roses in the Rose Gardens and view the art museum collection, including the recently returned C. F. Goldie painting, and learn about some ‘new ways of seeing’.  An exhibition designed to celebrate those with disabilities in our community and a more inclusive way of ‘seeing’.

Exhibition concept in collaboration with Tiaho Trust and DPA Northland.

The Whangarei Art Museum is a participant in the Whangarei District Council Access Whangarei – a guide to accessible facilities in the district initiative.

Sweet As   an installation by Madeleine Child
An installation reconfigured to reflect a more diverse audience with popping sounds and strawberry aromatics – and a trolley load of humour !

More than Looking   an installation by Glenn Heenan
New Zealand’s first photographic and poetry exhibition created for both a blind and visually impaired audience.

In October 2009 artist Madeleine Child was announced the joint winner of the Premier Award at the prestigious Portage Ceramic Awards (together with Kerikeri based ceramic artist Jim Cooper) – these awards for the past decade have come to be considered a national barometer of contemporary ceramics.

On 2 November her installation ‘Sweet As’ opens at the Whangarei Art Museum as part of the Disabilityart@ccess exhibition.

This exhibition is both challenging and inclusive; it deliberately challenges the regular gallery audience by offering new ways of seeing art and it includes disabled people who can be disadvantaged when it comes to art appreciation due to various impairments. Too often the needs of our disabled communities are neglected when it comes to access to art and design exhibitions. ‘Sweet As’ - More than Looking Disabilityart@ccess is designed and curated specifically for persons with disabilities and coincides with The International Day of Disabled Persons on 3rd December 2009.

Glenn Heenan creates an installation of unique photographic art which explores the senses of sight, touch and language to expand our definition of ‘seeing’ art – and in the process re-defines the art museum as a predominately sight-based institution ! The images are overlaid by glass embossing in a special process following the contours of the image with the poems in Braille nestled within the work, making a sensual experience for all – not just the sight impaired.

There will be public programs and events over the course of the exhibition and the opening, to be announced later including an eclectic performance on 3 December by renowned comedian Philip Patston. (details to be announced separately)

All the artworks will be hung throughout at heights suitable for wheelchair-based viewing including the highly tactile and multi-sensory exhibit Sweet As ceramic installation by Madeleine Child and More than Looking by Glenn Heenan.
The “Please do not touch” signs will be banished !

The ‘popcorn’ started after giving in to my kids hankering to buy coloured popcorn and given the opportunity to inspect it closely I (annoyingly) became excited and fascinated by its fleshy gorgeousness, organic fecundity and forbidden fruitiness ... purity and decadence, white, gold, sugary ... This mixed in with lots of messages and information on food politics, additives etc and how loaded, how big food is now ... Dis-comfort food or eye candy.  Also, it seems to have some inherent funniness ... wayward and formless. Making it is something like drawing a tangle of string

Photos courtesy of Stacey Photography