Archived: Your ArtWeek in the city centre trail guide

Start on the waterfront

A long white cloud | The Lightship

In Jae Hoon Lee’s new work, a scrolling band of clouds drifts across an impossibly blue, sparkling sky. The work presents a panoramic window onto a sublime archetype of the sky-as-metaphor, symbolising freedom, release, salvation, and any number of other positively charged ideas. _{Image is indicative only.} 

Tiki Exhibition | Kura Gallery, 95a Customs Street West

Kura Gallery will have a range of Tiki, both carved and visual representations, to enjoy from a collective of fantastic artists whose practices are well informed by tikanga and matauranga maori, taonga for tomorrow from the past.

NZ Geographic Photographer of the Year | Britomart Pavilions & Atrium on Takutai

Browse the work of some of the country’s best photographers and vote for NZ Geographic magazine’s People’s Choice Award from categories including wildlife, landscape, adventure, society and more.

Tangata Whenua | Season 

Tangata Whenua is an exhibition of new and recent works by Robyn Kahukiwa. The show continues her long-standing interest in uplifting and empowering Māori people, and promoting mana motuhake and tino rangatiratanga. 

Venture along Queen Street, through and up arcades & laneways 

TE AWA: The Water | Durham Street East 

TE AWA brings liveliness and strength of the water back to the city. It exhibits the Waihorotiu as it re-emerges and glistens in a tapestry of colour, reflections, acrylic, and strings - representing the energy of the stream and kai that was once gifted by the high-spirited freshwater.

Good News For You | Strand Arcade 

Good News For You is a presentation of artworks from five artists embracing the nature of temporary space within the historic setting of The Strand arcade.

Crossing Urbis Porta | Dilworth Building Entrance Foyer

This animated drawing is displayed on digital screens in the Dilworth Building lobby. It responds to 'Urbis Porta (City Gate),' a watercolor painting produced in 1926 by Auckland architects Gummer and Ford. The painting features a mirrored double of the Dilworth Building, situated on the adjacent corner of Queen Street.

_{Image credit:  Shan Yi and Jane Van Panahon, artist render only (left), Ed Bats (top right), Ross Liew (bottom right)}

Head up and along High Street 

Rebirth | Freyberg Steps

An incredible decal installation by Eduardo Tolentino Tan that symbolises the city’s return to life and vibrancy, after being forced into stillness and stunted by the pandemic

Tribute: Luggage Tags Triptych | Little High Street 

This installation consists of three transparent, brightly-coloured “tag- shaped” sections of PSP acrylic sandwiched together and intricately laser cut with Pasifika imagery.

Rupture | Chancery Square 

Dark Arts and Gary Mackay have created a light installation drawing from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s molten past - the volcanic foundations from which Auckland’s villa-lined streets were built on and from. Bending, twisting, and melting, Rupture subverts this rigid building material, making the streets molten once again. 

Dynamic Women: Revisiting New Zealand Modernism | Gow Langsford Gallery Kitchener St

This exciting exhibition focuses on NZ’s rich history of women modernist artists many of which are still under-recognised despite producing fascinating bodies of accomplished artworks. 

Venture further into the Aotea Arts Quarter

Luminescence | Khartoum Place 

La Lumiere will light up Khartoum Place with a magical large-scale lighting installation! Get your camera ready and enjoy the magic as radiant hues of coloured lights dance along the tree branches. 

Ever Present: First People's Art of Australia | Auckland Art Gallery 

Drawn from the collections of the National Gallery of Australia and The Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art, this exhibition, which surveys works by over 160 artists is the largest overview of art by First Nations Australian artists to be presented in Aotearoa. 

Capture: Aotearoa's first live Digital Dance Showcase | Aotea Square 

Move into a new world of digital dance creations from bold New Zealand dance artists or be the digital dancer yourself interacting on Auckland Live's large digital screen. 

Fingers Annual Group Show | Fingers Contemporary New Zealand Jewellery, 2 Kitchener Street 

This year, Fingers Gallery's annual show features recent works from over 40 leading contemporary makers.

Paint Like A Girl | The Tuesday Club, 42 Airedale Street 

What does it mean to paint like a girl? For the six artists in this show, 'to paint like a girl' evokes a wide variety of ideas and feelings.

Lightbox Luminaries | Darby Street 

This eclectic collection of imagery has been created by students from Whitecliffe College, a well-established centre of creativity and innovation. 

Complete your trail in the Federal and Elliott Street neighbourhoods 

Our Urban Neighbourhood | Between Elliott and Federal Street 

There are close to fifty local businesses operating around City Rail Link’s Te Waihorotiu Station construction site. 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

Taurima | Elliott Street 

This series of light installations in Elliott Street features crochet-like neon artworks floating above the street uncovering the street’s long culinary history.

Let your senses bloom | SkyCity 

Step into a realm of whimsical wonder as you find yourself surrounded by an explosion of colors and artistry. Take a moment to unwind beneath the grandeur of towering poppies, daffodils, and ranunculus that grace the SkyCity atrium space.