SCAPE 2006 Biennial of Art in Public Space



ESCAPE no:4 The eZINE of the SCAPE 2006 Biennial of Art in Public Space don’t misbehave! Annyeong haseyo. This year marks SCAPE’s full transition to the status of a recognised international event. In a recent issue of Contemporary (“the world’s most widely distributed arts magazine”), SCAPE was the only New Zealand event listed in a feature on international contemporary arts biennials. SCAPE’s broad outlook on the global art scene and status as a major international event in the Asia-Pacific region is bringing us into a network of rapidly evolving contemporary arts festivals in our geographical neighbourhood this September. The Singapore Biennial opened on the 1st. In Korea the Gwangju Biennial opened on the 8^th and the Busan Biennial opens on the 16^th. This segues into a nice buzz for SCAPE’s opening on the 29^th. It is part of our long-term mission to forge links and connections internationally, drawing on the synergy and flow of our geographical neighbourhood. The Far East is our near nor’west. With that in mind, this issue of eSCAPE has something of an eastern flavour, with a message from the Asia New Zealand Foundation, one of our supporters, and a profile on participating Korean artist Cho Jeong Hwa. We also have a message from the Christchurch Botanic Gardens – one of our supporters, and an appropriate one as the plants stir back into life as Christchurch comes into spring. An-nyung. Andrew Paul Wood Editor, eSCAPE ARTIST PROFILE: CHOI JEONG HWA Born in Seoul, Korea in 1961, Choi Jeong Hwa uses a wide range of materials in his installations, including video screens, plastic animals, real and fake food, lights and wires, air pumps and inflatables. Inspired by the rapid and often chaotic flux of contemporary urban living, his work considers institutional attempts to preserve art in a modern world of frantic transition and change. His professional career began in 1998 when he participated in Seamless at the De Appel Gallery in Amsterdam. He has had solo exhibitions at the 26^th São Paulo Biennial (1998), the Yokohama Triennial (2001), the Gwangju Biennial (2001), the Lyon Biennial (2003) and the Liverpool Biennial (2004). Happy Together, 2006 Antwerp, Belgium Choi Jeong Hwa’s contribution to SCAPE 2006 with the assistance of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, Happy Happy, is a wire cage structure located in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens that invites the public to participate by contributing cheerful brightly-coloured plastic objects to the existing ones collected by the artist. The manufactured objects and the process of change reflect Korea’s rapidly changing industrialised economy, and the work evolves as the public interacts with it. We hope you will come to Christchurch and experience it for yourself. SPONSOR MESSAGE: ASIA NEW ZEALAND FOUNDATION The Asia New Zealand Foundation assists in bringing both the heritage and contemporary cultures of Asia to New Zealand. The links SCAPE is forming with contemporary artists in the Asian region will give thousands of New Zealanders the chance to experience the vibrancy, relevance and diversity of the work and ideas being produced there. We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with the talented team behind the SCAPE 2006 Biennial of Art in Public Space and very much look forward to seeing the results of all their hard work. Jennifer King, Director, Culture Asia New Zealand Foundation SPONSOR MESSAGE: CHRISTCHURCH BOTANIC GARDENS Although the Christchurch Botanic Gardens are almost a century and a half old, and one of the oldest and most significant public recreational areas in New Zealand, like the SCAPE Biennials we have an interest in bringing 21^st century experiences into public space. We are pleased to be able to help the Art & Industry Trust's SCAPE 2006 mission, and in a relationship that benefits both parties, open our grounds to important and exciting contemporary art from around the world. Jeremy Hawker, Botanical Services Operations Team Manager, Greenspace Christchurch City Council --- unsubscribe

SCAPE 2006 is the 4th biennial organised by the Art & Industry Biennial Trust, New Zealand's only biennial dedicated to public art. FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: ART & INDUSTRY BIENNIAL TRUST, PO BOX 763, CHRISTCHURCH 8140, NEW ZEALAND, +64 (03) 365 7990 artandindustry@xtra.co.nz www.scapebiennial.org.nz BROUGHT TO YOU BY: ART & INDUSTRY BIENNIAL TRUST MAJOR SPONSORS: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, Christchurch City Council, Creative New Zealand - The Arts Council of New Zealand, New Zealand Community Trust, Errol and Jennifer Clark and The Clark Collection, Rainbow Print, RDU98.5FM, Scottwood Trust, Sir Robertson and Lady Stewart. SPONSORS: Alchemy Cafe & Wine Bar, Anderson Lloyd Caudwell, Asia:NZ Foundation, Australia Council, Avenues Magazine, Beca, Boffa Miskell, British Council New Zealand, Carson Group, Carter Group, City Care, Design & Arts College of New Zealand, Embassy of the United States of America, Eureka Trust, Firth Industries, Fletcher Construction, FRAME Finnish Fund for Art Exchange, Fulton Hogan Canterbury, Goethe-Institut, Grant Thornton Chartered Accountants, Hadlee Kippenberger & Partners, Heritage Management Services, Holiday Inn City Centre Christchurch, John Jones Steel Ltd, Lyttelton Port of Christchurch, Mondriaan Foundation, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, National Arts Council Singapore, Orion, PlaceMakers Riccarton, Pro-Am Inc, Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council, Pub Charity, Royal Netherlands Embassy Wellington, Shipleys Audiovisual, Signtech the signmasters, Solid Energy Coals of New Zealand, SOFA University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts Gallery, The Arts Centre, The Canterbury Community Trust, The SOFA Support Trust, The Southern Trust, Urbis. SUPPORT SPONSORS: Alto Holdings Limited, Canterbury Foundation, Canterbury Museum, Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Christchurch City Council City Environment Group, Christ's College, Christchurch City Libraries, Central Library, CoCA Centre of Contemporary Art, Creative Communities NZ Christchurch City, Embassy of France, High Street Project, Keith Laugesen Charitable Trust, Korean Embassy, Mercer Stainless Ltd, Pilkington (NZ) Ltd, Resene Paints Ltd, VFL Finance Ltd