'What’s It Doing?' opens with Big Day Art

Media release: 14 November, 2013

What’s It Doing? opens at Auckland Art Gallery’s Todd Foundation Creative Learning Centre with Big Day Art

On Saturday 23 November, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki unveils a fresh interactive work by artist Sean Kerr who takes over the Todd Foundation Creative Learning Centre with his new installation, What’s It Doing?

A giant pair of eyes will follow Gallery visitors around the room, placards will line the walls, and the innovative ‘Idea Machine’ will encourage both young and old to get hands-on in the Creative Learning Centre. The Machine – an idea generator and art object – is designed to inspire art making, creativity and playful humour.

To celebrate the opening of What’s It Doing?, a free Big Day Art event will see a full day of creative play from 10am – 4pm on Saturday 23 November, including games in the Gallery, a special appearance of performance group White Face Crew and hands-on art making for the whole family inspired by What’s It Doing?

Auckland Art Gallery Community Learning Coordinator Meg Nicoll says, ‘What’s It Doing? is fully interactive, encouraging people to enjoy quality time with their family, while also having fun engaging with art.’

The installation draws on artist Sean Kerr’s previous works, which often included ill-mannered scenarios and misbehaving machines that owed as much to communication theory as to slapstick comedy, and explored both social and technological relationships.

Sean says by playfully intertwining, unpacking and opening up these thoughts and processes, Gallery visitors will be invited to think about the ideas behind the work.

‘The audience will also be encouraged to reflect on the limits of interactivity and interaction, as well as the methods used to create art works,’ he says.

Auckland Art Gallery Director, Rhana Devenport, says, ‘You are never too old or too young to connect with art, and our Creative Learning Centre offers an inviting, open and relaxed space where families can easily bring art into their everyday lives for free.’

The Todd Foundation Creative Learning Centre is supported by the Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust.

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About the Creative Learning Centre
Each year, a New Zealand artist is commissioned to create a new installation for Auckland Art Gallery’s Creative Learning Centre. In 2011/12, the commissioned artist was Reuben Paterson and in 2012/13 the artist was Tiffany Singh.

Entry to the Creative Learning Centre, which is open 10am – 5pm daily, is free.

For more details on the Creative Learning Centre and upcoming events, visit www.aucklandartgallery.com

About the free Big Day Art event:
Big Day Art: Play!
Saturday 23 November 10am – 4pm
Join us for a day of creative play inspired by and celebrating the opening of Sean Kerr's What's It Doing?, as well as the contemporary New Zealand art in our summer exhibition, Freedom Farmers. Explore how serious, and not-so-serious, ideas can be generated through play, experimentation and chance. Participate in art making, watch performances and play Gallery games. The Big Day Art is a day for the whole family and all events are free of charge.

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