On the ground

Writing

HUM live from the 2024 Venice Biennale

16.04.2024

From 16–21 April 2024, Contemporary HUM will publish live coverage, exclusive images and videos from the opening week of Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere, The 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Click through for coverage of the Aotearoa New Zealand artists presenting work in the curated section of the Biennale, as well as in other events held off-site.

Writing

Mataaho Collective at the Dhaka Art Summit

By Pauline Autet

21.04.2020

We finish our first series focusing on the Asia region with Contemporary HUM Editor Pauline Autet interviewing Mataaho Collective on their participation in the Dhaka Art Summit, Bangladesh in February 2020, where they partook in panel discussions and practised a type of waiata (song) called a pātere.

Writing

documenta fifteen or lumbung one?

By Bruce E. Phillips

12.08.2022

For documenta fifteen, the arts collective FAFSWAG were invited to participate as members of the lumbung process established by this year’s curatorial collective ruangrupa. In the absence of the trophy artist phenomenon so entrenched within mega-exhibitions, Bruce E. Phillips responds to the work of different participating collectives exhibiting in Kassel and discusses how introducing a non-European exhibition-making concept into the heart of arguably Europe’s most revered art event was bound to confound those unwilling to consider a differing perspective.

Writing

An interview with Yuki Kihara

By Contemporary HUM

24.05.2022

In the opening week of the 2022 Biennale di Venezia, HUM sat down with the artist representing Aotearoa, Yuki Kihara, to discuss her exhibition Paradise Camp, and what it means to bring a Pasifika, Fa'afafine voice to the international audience of this major event.

Writing

An interview with the curators of 'Paradise Camp'

By Contemporary HUM, Ioana Gordon-Smith, Natalie King

24.05.2022

In the opening week of the 2022 Biennale di Venezia, HUM sat down with the Aotearoa New Zealand pavilion’s Curator, Natalie King, and Assistant Pasifika Curator Ioana-Gordon Smith, to talk about bringing Yuki Kihara’s Paradise Camp to Venice.

Writing

HUM live from the 2022 Venice Biennale

By Contemporary HUM

24.04.2022

From 20—24 April 2022, Contemporary HUM brings you live coverage, exclusive images and videos from the opening week of The Milk of Dreams, The 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, including Yuki Kihara's Paradise Camp for the New Zealand Pavilion.

Writing

HUM travels to Berlin

By Contemporary HUM

05.10.2021

From 01 - 04 October 2021, the HUM team was in Berlin to host our third panel discussion On Civicness. While there, we took the opportunity to catch up with several New Zealand artists - Sam Rountree Williams, Joshua Rutter, Matthew Cowan, and Ben Cauchi - and learn about their current projects.

Writing

An interview with Dane Mitchell

By Contemporary HUM

24.06.2019

HUM's editorial team sat down with artist Dane Mitchell to discuss his work for the New Zealand Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale, Post hoc. The work, both ambitious in scale and subject, has sparked discussions on global climate change and meditations on what has truly disappeared from the world. 

Writing

An interview with Bruce Barber

By Contemporary HUM

22.09.2017

As part of Contemporary HUM's series of interviews with New Zealand artists exhibiting during the 57th Venice Biennale, we talk with Bruce Barber about his work Party without Party (2017), included in the exhibition Personal Structures: Open Borders at the Palazzo Bembo.

Project

HUM live from the Venice Biennale

Updates from the vernissage

Since 2017, the Contemporary HUM team has attended every vernissage of La Biennale di Venezia in Italy. Each time, we bring you live coverage during the opening week, not only from the official New Zealand pavilion, but also from other events featuring artists from Aotearoa. In addition to posting daily blog entries, videos and images, we also publish exclusive interviews with some of the New Zealand artists and arts practitioners involved in putting together this major international event. 

Project

HUM travels to Berlin

Studio visits

From 01 - 04 October 2021, the HUM team was in Berlin to host our third panel discussion, On Civicness and participating in public life through art practice. While there, we took the opportunity to catch up with several New Zealand artists and learn about their latest projects.

Writing

Behind the scenes of Post hoc in Venice

By Amber Baldock, Chris Sharp, Hope Wilson, Jude Chambers, Zara Stanhope

22.07.2019

What does it take to represent New Zealand at the Venice Biennale? How are five-metre tall, 500kg sculptures installed and secured? How do you vie for an audience’s attention on an island full of exhibitions and artworks? HUM interviews the team behind Post hoc, at the New Zealand Pavilion for the 2019 Venice Biennale.

Writing

HUM live from the 2019 Venice Biennale

By Contemporary HUM

07.05.2019

HUM brings you live blog posts, videos, and exclusive images from the opening week of May You Live In Interesting Times, The 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, including Dane Mitchell's Post hoc for the New Zealand Pavilion.

Writing

An interview with Lisa Reihana

By Contemporary HUM

22.09.2017

As part of Contemporary HUM’s series of interviews with New Zealand artists exhibiting during the 57th Venice Biennale, we talk to Lisa Reihana, New Zealand's representative at the Biennale about her experience in Venice.

Writing

An interview with Kāryn Taylor

By Contemporary HUM

22.09.2017

As part of Contemporary HUM's series of interviews with New Zealand artists exhibiting during the 57th Venice Biennale, we talk with Kāryn Taylor about her work Field Notations, included in the exhibition Personal Structures: Open Borders at the Palazzo Bembo.

Writing

An interview with Francis Upritchard

By Contemporary HUM

22.09.2017

As part of Contemporary HUM’s series of interviews with New Zealand artists exhibiting during the 57th Venice Biennale, we talk to Francis Upritchard about her work in the Biennale.

Writing

An interview with Paul Handley

By Contemporary HUM

22.09.2017

As part of Contemporary HUM's series of interviews with New Zealand artists exhibiting during the 57th Venice Biennale, we talk to Paul Handley about his practice and his work Déplacement (Smuggling Pod) (2017), included in the exhibition Personal Structures: Open Borders at the Palazzo Bambo.

Writing

HUM live from the 2017 Venice Biennale

By Contemporary HUM

08.05.2017

HUM brings you live blog posts and exclusive images from the opening week of Viva Arte Viva, The 57th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, between 8 - 15 May 2017, including Lisa Reihana: Emissaries for the New Zealand Pavilion.