Tag Archives: Dunedin

News from Loans: What to see this month

7 September 2012 – 1.59pm

 Have you ever been curious about where Te Papa lends its collection items?  Well…. 

 If you are in Auckland then trot along to Objectspace to see 43 pieces of jewellery by Kobi Bosshard in the latest in the Objectspace Masters of Craft series exhibition.  Kobi Bosshard: Objectspace Masters of Craft opens to the public on Saturday 8 September 2012 and you have until 17 November 2012 to enjoy it.  If you are in Ponsonby at 11am on Saturday 27 September 2012 you have the opportunity to hear Justine Olsen, Curator Contemporary Decorative Arts at Te Papa talking about why Te Papa acquired a significant collection of Kobi Bosshard works, many of which feature in this exhibition.

Brooch, circa 1988, Dunedin. Bosshard, Kobi. Purchased 2002. Te Papa

 If you are in Wellington take the opportunity to see Te Papa collection items in one or both of the following exhibitions.

 The exhibition at the Adam Art Galley at Victoria University of Wellington titled Peripheral Relations: Marcel Duchamp and New Zealand Art 1960-2011 features 24 works from Te Papa’s collections.  Two of these works are by Marcel Duchamp himself.  They came to New Zealand as part of a bequest from Judge Julius Isaacs of New York, in 1983.  Judge Julius and his wife, Betty, knew Duchamp and one of my favourite works is the ‘readymade’ waistcoat that features personalised buttons that spell “B E T T Y”

Portrait of my wife (red scarf). Isaacs, Julius. Bequest of Judge Julius Isaacs, New York, 1983. Te Papa

 At Pataka: Porirua Museum of Arts & Cultures you can see the exquisite bird-shaped, scissor-like, jade implements from Te Papa’s collection in the exhibition Joe Sheehan: Stone Works 2002-2012. This exhibition opened on 25 August 2012 and you have until 25 November 2012 to visit.  It is definitely worth it!

“Final Cut” Assemblage, 2006, Wellington. Sheehan, Joe. Te Papa

 If you are in Dunedin you can see two of Te Papa’s paintings by A H O’Keeffe in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery exhibition A.H. O’Keeffe: Light in the Shadows.  The exhibition opens later in the month on 29 September 2012 and closes on to 9 December 2012.  Alfred O’Keeffe (1858-1941) is known for his spirited brushwork, explorations of light, and meditations on the passing of time. His works encompass portraiture, genre, still life and landscape.

The broken vase, 1929, Dunedin. O’Keeffe, A. H. Purchased 1972 with Ellen Eames Collection funds. Te Papa

 

Charlie, 1937, Dunedin. O’Keeffe, A. H. Gift of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, 1938. Te Papa

 

By Jo Torr | Posted in Borrowing and Lending | Also tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Fish research team en route for the cold waters of the Sub Antarctic Islands

9 February 2012 – 1.35pm

It’s only about three years I have been living in New Zealand and there is still plenty to learn about the country. But one thing I already know for sure, it’s that February is the best month in the year to enjoy good sun, low winds and warm weather. It might actually be the only one! So I am starting to think that I might be a little bit insane to plan a survey down the Sub Antarctic islands, right in the middle of February. Of course there is a very good reason to do this, but it comes at the cost of abandoning my dreams of diving warm waters this summer.

Map showing the sampling locations already achieved (green) and the two locations still to be sampled (red).

February is supposedly the best month of the year and this should also apply to the Auckland Islands where we will be studying the taxonomy, ecology and behaviour of the fish fauna in cold and deep waters. With the use of our video systems, we are going to film the never filmed before: the deep-sea fauna of those very wild and remote islands.

The Auckland Islands are located at 51°S, about 500 km south of Invercargill and are basically lost in the middle of the Ocean. The group of islands is 43 km long by 24 km wide. The first stretch of land on the West is the tip of South America, some 8000 km away. The first land on the East is actually also South America, and is not closer. This means that winds, rarely dropping under 60 km/h, and sea state can be remarkably unfriendly in the Auckland Islands, with no protection from land for thousands of kilometres. Now you start understanding why I am ready to give up on some mainland New Zealand warmth, in the hope of having acceptable conditions to deploy our video systems.

The MV Tranquil Image is being loaded with scientific gear in Tauranga

 

Working deck of the MV Tranquil Image crowded with all the scientific equipment used to study fish diversity and behaviour.

 

A video unit being hauled back after having filmed the fish fauna off the Kermadec Islands at 1200m depth (May 2011).

 

During this survey, we will also stop by around the Otago Peninsula to do similar work. We will sample the deep canyons up to 1200 m, learning more about fish diversity and behaviour in the area.

In one day, our boat the MV Tranquil Image will be in Wellington and we will be departing.

Speak to you soon,

Vincent

By Vincent Zintzen | Posted in Field trips, Fish | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (1)
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