PRESS RELEASE

City Gallery Wellington Symposium Announced

Art / World –The Second Telecom Prospect: New Art New Zealand Symposium City Gallery

Wellington Friday 20 + Saturday 21 April 2007

A highlight of Telecom Prospect 2007: New Art New Zealand’s events extravaganzais a symposium aimed at emerging curators, writers, artists, publishers and arts programmers working in the contemporary visual arts sector. The keynote address will be delivered by international guest speaker Juliana Engberg— Artistic Director ACCA (Australian Centre for Contemporary Art), curator and writer. Engberg’s talk (Friday 20 April, 6pm) is entitled 'Spot the Difference: Art versus the World'.

On Saturday 21 April the symposium continues all day, featuring a response to the keynote, propositions and provocations by artists, and a series of discussions looking at current issues relating to art writing and criticism, questions around audience, and exhibitionary and ‘institutional’ structures.

Speakers on this day will be drawn from around New Zealand. Travel funding assistance is available to participants from around New Zealand who would otherwise not be able to resource the trip. National Services Te Paerangi and City Gallery Wellington have a limited pool of travel scholarships available. Priority will be given to applicants of Maori and Pacific Island descent, as well as those from geographically isolated areas, and/or small organisations with minimal operating budgets. To apply, download the application form from www.citygallery.org.nz or email citygalleryevents@wmt.org.nz. Applications close 5pm, Friday 23 March 2007.

Fuller programme details and a list of confirmed speakers will be released in late March. INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER: JULIANA ENGBERG Spot the Difference: Art versus the World

Described as “an impeccable eye wedded to a keen intellect” and “Australia’s most maverick and ambitious curator of contemporary art”, Juliana Engberg is Artistic Director ACCA (Australian Centre for Contemporary Art), Melbourne. She is concurrently curator of the Melbourne Festival Visual Arts Programs. She has recently curated new projects including Martin Creed, Daniele Puppi, Callum Morton and Fiona Tan. Engberg has been the curator of over 400 exhibitions and other major art events. In 1999 she was the Artistic Director of the internationally acclaimed Melbourne Biennial: Signs of Life. A prolific writer and editor, she has produced over 1,500 articles, essays and catalogues for local and international art journals, newspapers, catalogues as well as contributing to numerous conferences and forums.

Cost: Keynote and Symposium: early bird rate (until 30 March) $35, from 1 April $45 Keynote address only: $15 (strictly limited numbers available).

Bookings: See www.citygallery.org.nz Telecom Prospect: New Art New Zealand City Gallery Wellington, Civic Square, Wellington 11 February –29 April 2007 Admission FREE For further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact: Alexander Bisley Publicist/ Communications Co-ordinator, City Gallery Wellington T: 04 801 3959 E:alexander.bisley@wmt.org.nz Miranda Parkes, Crasher (2006). Courtesy of the artist and 64zero3 Gallery, Christchurch With thanks to our symposium funding partners: Chartwell Trust, Creative New Zealand, National Services Te Paerangi and Telecom Exhibition Generously Supported by: Principal Sponsor City Gallery Wellington (www.citygallery.org.nz) is managed by the Wellington Museums Trust with major funding support from Wellington City Council.

ENDS