Overview
ArtWeek in the City Centre is taking over Auckland's CBD again in 2023, with an abundance of galleries, art walks, workshops, exhibitions and more filling Tāmaki Makaurau with creativity from Friday, October 6–Sunday, October 15. The ten-day program put together by Auckland's Heart of the City is jam-packed, featuring over 50 art-adjacent events.
A range of Kiwi artists will be showcasing their work at a pop-up gallery aptly named Good News For You, which can be found on Queen Street at The Strand Arcade — and will extend its stay beyond ArtWeek, with its run finishing up on Christmas Eve.
Joining the temporary gallery will be Anna Hanson, an artist who predominantly works with embroidery; Oscar Low, who specialises in public art; Nicholas J Boyd, who focuses on oil painting; Ed Bats, who started his career as a graffiti artist and now uses everything from coffee tables to curtains to create work; and finally Margarita Vovna, who uses a range of techniques to create her pieces, which is often autobiographical.
On Victoria Street West, art lovers will find Our Urban Neighbourhood, a photography exhibition created by Mark Baber. This collection of portraits explores the business community that surrounds City Rail Link's Te Waihorotiu Station construction site, an area that will soon be home to Auckland's central transport hub.
As well as the 50 businesses surrounding the area, the site welcomes more than 400 construction workers every day. Baber's photographs give Aucklanders the chance to meet the faces behind this massive project, and the businesses that surround it, as well as showcasing the special relationships that've been made along the way.
A huge part of ArtWeek is Late Night Art, a one-night event on Thursday, October 12, which will see the city celebrating art after dark in every way imaginable. There's a big range of arty adventures to have between 5–9pm, with over 30 installations, exhibitions, workshops and performances to choose from.
The Ellen Melville Centre and Freyberg Place will be transformed into a K-pop dance pop-up, including live music, DJs and markets. Keeping with the dance theme, Aotea Square will be home to New Zealand's first live digital dance showcase, with dance artists projected digitally into the space.
European restaurant Paname Social will be hosting a live-painting battle, where professional artists and regular punters face-off — and with the winner decided by the audience on the night.
If you're looking for something more educational, head to AECOM House on Mahuhu Crescent, where a panel of talented artists will discuss how they are working to integrate Māori design and stories into public art, and generally into Auckland's streetscape.
To top off the night, galleries across the city will be extending their opening hours, which includes Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Gow Langsford Gallery, Kura Gallery, The Tuesday Club and more.
Viv Beck, Heart of the City's Chief Executive, said the lineup for ArtWeek is "unmissable".
"This year's ArtWeek in the City program is testament to creative talent as diverse as the city itself. It's a great reason to visit the city centre, and will bring some wonderful energy and vitality here."
ArtWeek in the City Centre runs from Friday, October 6–Sunday, October 15 — head to Heart of the City's website for the full program.