Otago Polytechnic’s Dunedin School of Art will be transformed into an art gallery for the annual SITE exhibition, which showcases an eclectic variety of works by final-year Bachelor of Visual Arts and postgraduate learners.

Opening on Friday 19 November, and running until Monday 22 November, SITE will feature works from eight art disciplines: ceramics, electronic arts, jewellery and metalsmithing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and textiles.

Because of Covid protocols, there will be no official public opening. Members of the public are welcome to view the exhibition, but visitor numbers will be limited.

“The pandemic has tested us in many ways,” says Dr Bridie Lonie, Head of the Dunedin School of Art.

“The cohort of learners involved in SITE has had two lockdowns, each at significant moments in their studio pathways. Many turned to small projects, to more drawing, to more stitching, to smaller, more manageable components, then returned to the studio to flourish in our workshops.

“Our students represent all ages, so there is not simply a ‘Millennial’ picture here; instead, it’s a cross-generational display of the concerns of those confronting today’s world.”

For SITE, the Dunedin School of Art school is transformed into a gallery and work is curated based on students’ choice of location for their work.

The exhibition fulfils two functions: public event and assessment.

“Before the public see the exhibition, each student has stood in front of their work before an assessment panel, with supporting documentation, and justified their work in a short oral presentation,” Dr Lonie explains.

“Groups of assessors move through the school in the week before SITE, and their decisions are passed by an external moderator from an equivalent institution. The students then remove the documentation, catalogue labels are attached throughout the school, and the exhibition is opened to the public.

“For the graduate student, the exhibition represents the end of three years of undergraduate or one year of postgraduate study, with decisions and choices made that culminate in a small but representative set of works.”

SITE:

Dunedin School of Art, Riego St, Dunedin

Friday 19 November, 5.30pm-7.30pm*

Saturday 20 November 10am-4pm

Monday 22 November 10am-4pm

*Note: Because of Covid protocols, there will be no official opening event. The exhibition is open to the public with sales taking place. Sign-in, entry restrictions, mask wearing and social distancing required.

Caption: Coming Up For Air, acrylic and oil on canvas (detail) by Ngahina Belton Bodsworth


Published on 16 Nov 2021

Orderdate: 16 Nov 2021
Expiry: 10 Nov 2023