What the Tree Sees - Art in the Dark

Art in the Dark is on next month- Friday 9 and Saturday 10 November

What the Tree Sees will be shown as part of the Art in the Dark Cinema

 That the Tree Sees (2012) Video stills.

The project explores notions of the park’s space,  as an imagined experience from the tree’s point of view, during daylight hours. The park operates as a vertical corridor, connecting Ponsonby road with lower Howe street and Beresford street west that directs foot traffic in both directions activating the space with both movement and sound.

The boundless possibilities of what the tree witnesses includes the activity of animals, birds and people that use the park, but there is also consideration for the moments of relative inactivity and quiet when the anything can occur. The work goes on to question how many moments, either real or imagined, can occur throughout the park in a day.

Although the audience may be entertained by the images and ideas, there is also a challenge to consider a view of the park from a fresh perspective – from the static, enduring place of the tree, and the park itself.

'Skywand' Photographs 10-12 November

'Art in the Dark' was a great success this weekend. The weather was perfect and a full moon was very evident on Friday night. As usual there was an amazing atmosphere and a very enthusiastic audience.

                                                                       Skywand with reflected 'bubble'.

'Sky Mirror' (2010), Art in the Dark, Ponsonby, Auckland.

Sky Mirror (2010)
Fibreglass, nylon, thread, plastic,lights.

Sky Mirror is a colourful, dynamic light work that allows us to reflect on our perception of space as we look down on the work to see what is in reality overhead. The process also alludes to the traditional placement of knowledge and diagrams to be viewed on a horizontal plane when in this case the reality is vertically above the viewer.

The surface image shows an activated diagram of the October night sky with its thousands of stars, including the Milky Way and the major contellations. When installed Sky Mirror will be orientated for the correct reading of the diagram for October 2010.

Art in the Dark (2010) is a new initiative of lightworks by designer Celia Harrison.

Art in the Dark is an interactive community event that was held in the dark in Ponsonby's Western Park on the 15th and 16th of October 2010.

Art in the Dark transformed the park into a temporary community hub, illuminated by installations, projected short films and performances along a walk throughout the park. The entire event is eco-friendly, and all projects were powered by clean energy, with minimal waste. Art in the Dark aims to develop new forms of sustainable practices within the community with a view to inspiring other events and businesses to follow suit.

Long term, the Art in the Dark vision is to not only make the event in Western Park annual, but also to develop and grow community and environmental awareness via smaller events, providing constant opportunities for artists and progressing an artist collective.

www.artinthedark.co.nz