Creative Resistance to the State Terror Raids of October ‘07
Art Exhibition and Auction

Art has always offered a vehicle for political and social expression and many artists incorporate their political, religious and social beliefs in their work.

Explosive Expression is an exhibition which uses art to raise awareness about Operation Eight, now widely known as the October 15 State Terror Raids. Featuring more than forty New Zealand artists, a series of workshops and an auction on Saturday October 17, Explosive Expression will raise money for court and related costs incurred by those still undergoing legal proceedings.

The work on show will address issues surrounding the politics of the October 15 raids, including how 9/11 and the subsequent fear of terrorism has shaped our thinking, and conflict within New Zealand that has arisen from colonisation.

A number of the artists involved are Learning Connexion students and graduates, all exploring how they can use creativity to express their political views and take action.

The show opens at Thistle Hall, Wellington, Tuesday October 13, 6pm, with a talk by Tuhoe activist Tama Iti.

Other workshops and events include:

Wednesday 14 Oct, 7.30pm: A celebration of musical resistance
featuring the works of Urs Signer, composer, clarinetist and Operation 8
defendant with others at the Adam Concert Rooms, Victoria University
Wellington.

Thursday 15 Oct, 7pm: Film Screening of ‘Tuhoe: a history of resistance’
and short films about the October 15th raids at the New Zealand Film
Archive, 7pm.

Friday 16 Oct, 6pm: Meet the artists and hear about their creative
resistance at Thistle Hall.

Saturday 17 Oct, 12-4pm: Political screen-printing workshop for youth
at Aro Valley Community Hall, sponsored by a Creative Communities grant.

Saturday 17 Oct, 7pm: AUCTION NIGHT with food, drinks, and all of these
amazing works for sale.

Sunday 18 October, 1-5pm: Documenting our communities workshop with
local filmmakers at Aro Valley Community Hall, sponsored by a Creative
Communities grant.

For more information on the exhibition and events see: www.october15thsolidarity.info/artauction

The first Taita-based staff exhibition is happening this month!

Opening: Thursday October 22, 7 – 9pm
Runs Friday – Monday (October 23 – 26)
10am – 4pm daily

Taita Campus, 182 Eastern Hutt Road, Taita, Hutt City

Pick ‘N’ Mix is a group exhibition showcasing the diverse and exceptional talent of staff and tutors at The Learning Connexion School of Art and Creativity, the Hutt Valley’s newest art school.

While our regular exhibitions generally showcase students’ work, this is a rare chance to see what TLC staff and tutors get up to in their artistic lives. You’ll see artwork from a diverse collection of staff including not only the art tutors themselves, but personnel from areas as wide-ranging as administration, reception, audio visual, student support and marketing.

With thirty three staff participating, this show promises something for everyone – from bronze casting, to painting, installation and jewellery. Some well-known Wellington favourites are participating – Kapiti jeweller Hanne Eriksen-Mapp has produced some stunning contemporary jewellery, printmaker Lucy Adams is exhibiting screen-printing and filmmaker Kate Logan is branching out with a collection of mono-prints. Dan Wilkinson, who is based at Nautilus studios in Owhiro bay, is curating the exhibition, an experience he is looking forward to. “It is so exciting and inspiring to work with so many creative people. Hanging their work will be challenging, but it’s awesome to see how everyone expresses themselves in their artwork.”

Pick ‘N’ Mix opens at The Learning Connexion’s new campus in Taita on Thursday, October 22nd from 7.00pm. The campus is alongside Taita College at 182 Eastern Hutt Road and is covered in one of the largest, most colourful murals in the Southern Hemisphere – hard to miss!

The exhibition runs until Monday October 26th and is open from 10.00am–4.00pm daily. We’ll see you there!

Ruth Korver from the AV department at The Learning Connexion is building a robot army. It’s true, she has made fifty individual, pint-sized robots and is participating in the much awaited ‘ROBOT SHOW’ at Thistle Hall Gallery on Cuba Street. Ruth and her army will be surrounded by a veritable legion of robots.

Terminator. R2D2 and C3P0. Edward Scissorhands, and RoboCop. Wall E, Transformers and Bender. The idea of the mechanical man has fascinated humanity for more than 100 years. As technologies have advanced, robots have moved from the 19th century automatons to complex computer-driven devices which can sing and dance. Real artificial intelligence may still be a long way off, but the possibilities of what may eventually happen captures our imaginations like nothing else.

For 5 days only, Wellington will have the unique opportunity to explore the wonderful world of robots as never seen before. Seventeen artists from all over New Zealand will be transforming Thistle Hall into a veritable legion of robots from tasty metal beasts made from scrap, to textile bots and clay models. Artists include Sam Broad, Michele Irving and Stephen Templer. Prints, paintings and sculptures will line the walls as each artist expresses his/her own creative vision. From the comical to the frightening, each mechanical fantasy is inspired by the artists’ own robotic love affairs and fascinations, resulting in an eclectic mixture of robotic madness.

Curated by Wellington favourites Sam Broad and Michele Irving, this show is a must-see! Exhibition opening is Tuesday 6 October, 5:30-8pm and the show runs until Sunday 11 October at Thistle Hall, 293 Cuba Street, Wellington.
For an exhibition preview, please visit organiser Sam Broad’s website, or the Robot page on facebook for a little taste of robot heaven, or watch our short video below:

Some of TLC’s Distance Delivery forms have been updated. You can download the new forms from the following links:

Work logs

Brief forms

You are warmly invited to:

Explosive Expression
Creative Resistance to the State Terror Raids of October ‘07
Exhibition and Auction

Art auction
Saturday 17 October, 7pm
Thistle Hall, Wellington

(or bid online at www.october15thsolidarity.info/artauction:
http://www.october15thsolidarity.info/artauction).

Background
The ‘Operation 8′ raids on houses in Te Urewera and around Aotearoa targeted indigenous rights, environmental, anti-war and union activists. 18 people still face politically motivated charges. Funds raised will support those affected by the raids.

If you are in Wellington, we invite you to share in a week of events commemorating the 2007 ‘terror’ raids:

Tuesday 13 Oct, 6pm: Exhibition Opening with Tame Iti at Thistle Hall gallery.

Wednesday 14 Oct, 7.30pm: A celebration of musical resistance featuring the works of Urs Signer, composer, clarinetist and Operation 8 defendant with others at the Adam Concert Rooms, Victoria University Wellington.

Thursday 15 Oct, 7pm: Film Screening of ‘Tuhoe: a history of resistance’ and short films about the October 15th raids at the New Zealand Film Archive, 7pm.

Friday 16 Oct, 6pm: Meet the artists and hear about their creative resistance at Thistle Hall

Saturday 17 Oct, 12-4pm: Political screen-printing workshop for youth at Aro Valley Community Hall sponsored by a Creative Communities grant.

Saturday 17 Oct, 7pm: Auction night with food, drinks, and all of these amazing works for sale

Sunday 18 October, 1-5pm: Documenting our communities workshop with local filmmakers at Aro Valley Community Hall sponsored by a Creative Communities grant

Featuring:
James Robinson, Ngahina Hohaia, Fiona Jack, Louise Menzies, Brett Graham, Shane Hammond, Manu Berry, Graham Jury, Tame Iti, Shruti Navathe, Arlo Edwards, Freeman White, Greg Curline, Kate Logan, Marama Mayrick, Chaz Doherty, Paul Moss, Sarah Watson, Rouge Merlot, Chris Schmelz, Rua Pick, Jared Davidson, Lillia Letsch, Mihihea Davies, Rayna Fahey, Roger Morris, Kate Vander Drift, Martin Sullivan, Bryce Galloway, Anna-Claire Hunter, Kahu Scott, Iris Tuiono, Vanessa Cameron-Lewis, Clare Havell, Dean Shirriffs, Terri Te Tau, Isabelle Gauthier, Challen Wilson, Belle Murphy, Jane Davidson, Chanz Mikaere, Heleyni Pratley, Gil Hanley, Tao Wells, Reuben Moss, Charlotte Graham, Grant McDonagh, Mark Jerkovich, Johnny de Painter, Andrew Ross, Glen Leslie, Natasha Fordyce, Luca Melikyan.

The bus timetable has changed. See the bus timetable page for further details.