There are close to fifty local businesses operating around City Rail Link’s Te Waihorotiu Station construction site, located in the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s city centre. The area is also the workplace of approximately 400 Link Alliance construction workers – building the station 15 metres below ground and regenerating streetscapes above ground.
Mark Barber’s clear, sharp and bold portraits in this exhibition celebrates these local businesses, their stories and the faces behind them, as well as offering a nuanced look into our Link Alliance workers and the close relationships formed while working together.
Alongside verbatim quotes from the subjects accompanying each portrait, this exhibition acts as a timestamp, showcasing the unique faces and stories that make up the station community in this pivotal moment of midtown’s transformation.
View this exhibition along Victoria Street West (section between Elliott and Federal Streets) from 6 October.
About the artist:
Mark Barber is a multifaceted Auckland based photographer who has two decades working in commercial photography with a background in photographing the skateboarding community. Mark has also created his own body of work covering the trucking and forestry industry and small-town narratives across Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally. Mark has been photographing the City Rail Link project since 2019.
Late Night Art | Thursday, 12 Oct, 6pm-8pm | Corner of Federal and Victoria Streets
Head to the corner of Federal and Victoria Streets to celebrate this exhibition with local kai, drinks, and music. Also on the night, there will be a special gifting ceremony at 6:30pm for those in the portraits, followed by a Q&A artist talk with Mark Barber at 7pm.
Pictured: Mele & Siu - Link Alliance workers (top left), Hassan - Cafè Midnight Express (top right), Renato - Link Alliance worker (bottom)
$2 per hour to a max of $12 on weekends and a $12 flat rate for weekday evenings at The Civic car park. Find out more.