Some grist for the rumour mill

After the selection of Simon Denny for the last Venice Biennale we tried to get a list of the curator/artist teams that had put in proposals to be considered. Two years later the Ombudsman finally told us that as Creative NZ had confidentiality agreements with all concerned, this information could not be released. So there you go. If you want to keep your selection processes secret all you need to do is put a gag on the participants. For now, it’s back to rumours, guesses and stabs in the dark. We’ll come up with a list of who we think has applied (you’re welcome to put in your 10 cents worth) shortly after 16 September when proposals have to be with Creative NZ. By that time Creative NZ will have announced who's on the selection panel. In the meantime, after scanning the proposal form, what will they be looking for?

A new work made specifically for Venice. As in the past, the work shown at Venice will have been made for Venice. “The artist(s) will be responsible for the preparation of new work within the nominated timeframe.” That is “suitable for the Venice Biennale context.” Nothing new there, apart from the work.

Agreement to the et al. clause. Creative NZ never recovered from et al’s refusal to talk to the media in 2005 and since then specifically requires the artist to “participate in publicity and promotion activities, which includes media interviews, media launches”.

Funding opportunities. The last Biennale made it clear that Creative NZ expects significant funding via the artist’s dealers. The last Venice outing saw Denny’s dealers make significant contributions to the production of the work, the publication, administrative support and entertainment in Venice. It's also hard to imagine a successful proposal that did not bring with it (probably via the curator) major institutional backing. The usual suspects include Auckland Art Gallery, City Gallery Wellington, Christchurch Art Gallery, Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Te Papa. Untapped so far but definitely a possibility is the tertiary sector via one the art school universities

Looking at the pool of likely contestants it's interesting to ponder on how these requirements will impact on the panel’s final decision when they are applied to specific artists.

Image: Rumour mill, operating model

The rumour mill

Here’s a good rumour for you. It comes complete with an A++ feels-right rating, but no publishable source, although some talk a few months ago make it ring true. 

A rich person (or persons) has signed a cheque that will pay for the construction of a new standalone National Art Gallery next to Te Papa if the Government agrees to pick up all operational and staffing costs. 

In most fields this possibility would start a storm of speculation, media blitzing of Te Papa execs and lobby pressure on ministers. In the arts we tend to have a more let-sleeping-possibilities-lie approach. You know this already from the Walters Prize debacle. The allegation that hardly any of the jurors saw any of the exhibitions they had proposed didn’t even cause a ripple, let alone a statement from the Auckland Art Gallery (which makes you think it is probably true). Hard to imagine the selection of four new All Blacks being based on games none of the selectors had seen not creating a nationwide debate of WTF proportions in the media, in the pubs and in the office. Face it, families would be at war. In the arts anyone under challenge simply says 'no comment' on the reasonable assumption that tough questions will go away. 

This passivity is probably part of the reason why the arts get so little media interest. When journalists can't get a comment from anyone and are overwhelmed by boosterism, who's surprised we are relegated to the entertainment pages. And all this at a time when there are so many opportunities to move up a notch with the Auckland Art Gallery facing a fundamental shift in direction, Te Papa requiring 30 senior managers to apply for only 15 available jobs in a restructure and now the whisper of chance to see a new National Art Gallery. That's a lot to talk about.

Location, location and location

As far as we can tell, everyone in Auckland has spent the last few weeks or so comparing Walters Prize rumours for 2010 and has finally reached some sort of consensus. Do people and artists living outside Auckland have any stake in all this? Probably not, but our advice, if you’re running a South Island bookie and someone comes up with Dan Arps, Saskia Leek, Fiona Connor and Alex Monteith as the finalists, don’t give them long odds against. 

If this selection turns out to be accurate it is certainly sending a strong message to all the public art museums. The time has come to pack your bags and shift your sorry arses onto K Road. Seriously, what have you all been doing for the last two years? Sitting on your thumbs if the Walters’ committee is any judge to go by - same with all the dealers South of Auckland. There are small curry shops and computer stores itching to have you relocate close to Walters hot-spots Ivan Anthony, Two Rooms, Michael Lett and Gambia Castle. Who knows, maybe some of their magic will rub off.

Image: OTN staffer checking out Walters’ short list rumours

The OTN Alphabet will return next week.

Rumour Mill V

No sooner did we post the Suitcase story than three of our readers sent in the same AAG rumour. Apparently the Auckland Art Gallery has asked Saatchi & Saatchi to come up with some television commercials. One concept, we are told, features a homeless Maori male morphing into a Goldie painting while in another a female K-Road professional morphs into some other painting from the collection. Living the dream. Have these ideas been accepted? As usual overthenet table tennis balls for confirmation, additions or believable denials.
Image: Early concept work for an overthenet TVC

The rumour mill III

Word on the street is that the staff of Two Rooms, the dealer gallery directed by Jenny Todd in Auckland, are involved in a very large fund raising project. As Two Rooms is also the gallery that exhibits Brett Graham, it makes you think that this might be an effort to help fund the New Zealand splash at Venice in association with Alice Hutchison. The usual table tennis balls await.

Just the job

In an article in Queensland’s Courier Mail, art critic and writer Susan McCulloch comments on the search for a replacement for Doug Hall, the current Queensland Art Gallery director:

"It's a bit like musical chairs in the gallery world," she said. "Lynne Seear (QAG assistant director) would be an obvious one to think of. But the odd thing is that deputy directors rarely get to inherit the main job. (Expatriate Australian) Christopher Saines has been mentioned in relation to the job, he's in New Zealand (at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki), but I don't know if he would be interested in it.” Anyone out there, who does?
Send us an email. overthenet able tennis balls signed by notable artists etc etc.

What a pickle*

When Creative New Zealand decided not to support Robert Storr’s Venice Biennale they must have expected that others would slip into the gap they left behind. We have already reported on the artists chosen for Brian’s Book and now hear there is another assault on Venice from the heartland. Rumour is that Alice Hutchison, Team Leader Art at Te Manawa (The Palmerston North Museum that includes the old Manawatu Art Gallery) has agreement from Robert Storr to include a Brett Graham and Rachael Rakena installation Aniwaniwa previously shown at Te Manawa. We assume, as there is no official National presence this year, that the Graham/ Rakena project will be part of the collateral events section, although it is not listed there as yet.

We love private initiatives but this one does raise a few questions, given the Government’s refusal to participate officially.

1 Is there any public funding involved?
2 Will the exhibition represent New Zealand in any official way?
3 Will the exhibition be included in the Venice Biennale catalogue as a New Zealand exhibition?
4 What is CNZ’s official position to this late entry?

All help on answers these questions will be gratefully received with overthenet table tennis balls signed by artists of note awarded for the best stuff.
*Previously known as the heading The Rumour mill II

The rumour mill I

Two completely unsubstantiated rumors that have the ring of truth about them.

1 Australian artist Stephen Bram has been asked to do the next Jar Space work in Auckland, replacing the current Stephen Bambury project.
2 Stephen Bambury will partner with art dealer Andrew Jensen when he moves to a new space in Newmarket.