Curated by Melanie Oliver

Persistency

25 Jul — 29 Aug 2015

Daegan Wells, tape measure, film still 2015
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Daegan Wells, tape measure, film still 2015

Tim J Veling, Maling Street, Avonside Residential Red Zone, Christchurch 2014: Demolished social housing area, from the Vestiges series, 2014-ongoing.
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Tim J Veling, Maling Street, Avonside Residential Red Zone, Christchurch 2014: Demolished social housing area, from the Vestiges series, 2014-ongoing.

Daegan Wells, 'Tape measure', 2015, Two-channel video (2:06 mins)
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Daegan Wells, 'Tape measure', 2015, Two-channel video (2:06 mins)

Daegan Wells, 'Untitled (Extracts from Lodgings, Residential Red Zone, 57 Banks Ave)', 2015Slate, nylon
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Daegan Wells, 'Untitled (Extracts from Lodgings, Residential Red Zone, 57 Banks Ave)', 2015
Slate, nylon

Daegan Wells, 'Untitled (Extracts from Lodgings, Residential Red Zone, 57 Banks Ave)', 2015Slate, nylon
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Daegan Wells, 'Untitled (Extracts from Lodgings, Residential Red Zone, 57 Banks Ave)', 2015
Slate, nylon

Daegan Wells, 'Untitled (Extracts from Lodgings, Residential Red Zone, 57 Banks Ave)', 2015Concrete, fabric
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Daegan Wells, 'Untitled (Extracts from Lodgings, Residential Red Zone, 57 Banks Ave)', 2015
Concrete, fabric

Daegan Wells, 'Untitled (Extracts from Lodgings, Residential Red Zone, 57 Banks Ave)', 2015Fabric
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Daegan Wells, 'Untitled (Extracts from Lodgings, Residential Red Zone, 57 Banks Ave)', 2015
Fabric

Daegan Wells, 'Untitled (Extracts from Lodgings, Residential Red Zone, 57 Banks Ave)', 2015Concrete, slate, fabric, nylon
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Daegan Wells, 'Untitled (Extracts from Lodgings, Residential Red Zone, 57 Banks Ave)', 2015
Concrete, slate, fabric, nylon

installation view
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installation view

Stuntdubs, Quaked Christchurch 2011Skate video
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Stuntdubs, Quaked
Christchurch 2011
Skate video

Stuntdubs, Quaked Christchurch 2011Skate video  
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Stuntdubs, Quaked 
Christchurch 2011
Skate video  

CEISMIC Canterbury Earthquakes Digital ArchiveRadio NZ reportsWomen's Voices Interviews, Women's Voices is an oral history project created by National Council of Women of New Zealand
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CEISMIC Canterbury Earthquakes Digital Archive
Radio NZ reports
Women's Voices Interviews, Women's Voices is an oral history project created by National Council of Women of New Zealand

installation view
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installation view

installation view
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installation view

Tim J Veling, 'Lois Place, Avonside Residential Red Zone', Christchurch, 2014Discarded chemical toilet 
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Tim J Veling, 'Lois Place, Avonside Residential Red Zone', Christchurch, 2014
Discarded chemical toilet 

Tim J Veling, 'Maling Street, Avonside Residential Red Zone', Christchurch, 2014. Demolished social housing area.  
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Tim J Veling, 'Maling Street, Avonside Residential Red Zone', Christchurch, 2014. Demolished social housing area.

 

Featuring Tim J Veling and Daegan Wells

Thursday 30 July 5.30pm
Art, Activism and Democracy
Panel discussion: Bruce Russell, Melanie Oliver, Tim J Veling

Thursday 6 August 5.30pm
Constructing the CEISMIC archive
Rosalee Jenkins from Canterbury Earthquake Digital Archive

 

The exhibition Persistency features various documents made in Christchurch’s public space subsequent to the earthquakes. Although quiet undertakings, the works of Tim J Veling and Daegan Wells imply the erosion of democracy in the city. The disempowerment of Canterbury people was experienced through the enforced clearing of the residential red zone; delayed public access to the central city red zone; the drafting process of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority blueprint plan; a series of school closures; failure to address the social housing crisis; and lack of public discussion around urban design issues. These decisions have long term effects for the city.

Persistency also includes records of protests, graffiti, urban exploration, foraging and salvage projects: small actions performed in spite of the challenging conditions. Together these documents generate an alternative or parallel reading of recent events, questioning the construction of urban narratives and asserting the ongoing need to participate in public discourse.