Tent Festival Will See Art 'Camping' in Stores and Windows Across New Zealand This Weekend

A nationwide art fair is giving Kiwi art fans the chance to enjoy a series of eye-catching exhibitions popping up in most unexpected places, even for those of us locked down in Tāmaki Makaurau. 

Tent, run by the clever team behind the Auckland Art Fair, is a series of live and virtual art exhibitions taking place across the motu this weekend. 

Pop-up exhibitions are set to take place in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Pōneke Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Tauranga, Raglan and Tamahere, with contactless and virtual offerings happening for Aucklanders still stuck in level 3 lockdown. 

26 galleries and over 100 artists will be showing over 400 artworks over the next four days … but the catch? They can't show in their own gallery space, so they're 'camping' out elsewhere in the country instead.

For lovers of art and fashion in Pōneke Wellington, don't miss Shapes To Sleep To by artist Ed Bats which will be shown at Kowtow's Wellington store, a collaboration the artist says emerged out of an exchanging of ideas between them and Kowtow head designer Marilou Dadat.

Once you've bought your outfit, find the perfect accessory at There Is An Artwork In All Of This,  a new exhibition by Elisabeth Pointon set to be presented in Te Aro's Yu Mei Lounge, alongside the label's new handbag collection. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Aotearoa Art Fair + TENT (@aotearoaartfair)

For night owls or closeted vouyers, 'Intra-action',  an exhibition by Te Whanganui-a-Tara based artists Isabelle Russell and Dayle Palfreyman can be caught at Newton drive-thru, with the large windows making for ideal for viewing from street at night. 

For those locked down in Tamaki Makarau, don't worry — you won't have to miss out. Several galleries are putting on by-request window displays, so you can enjoy the art from the safety of the street. Both Parnell's ARTIS gallery and Mount Eden's Möenander Gallery will be showing their exhibitions in their large window displays — grab a coffee, put on your walking shoes and make a trek of it. 

And if the weather is feeling particularly Auckland-ish and you don't want to leave the house, all galleries will be offering virtual viewing spaces so you can enjoy the works from the comfort of the couch. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Aotearoa Art Fair + TENT (@aotearoaartfair)

We'd most definitely recommend you check out Within Reach from Masterworks, as well as Motherworks' Finger Pricks & Curses, an exhibition made collaboration with the West Auckland Resource Centre, where recycled and donated materials can be accessed by the community.

TENT takes place from 2pm Thursday November 4 until 8pm Sunday November 8. To check out exhibit times and locations, and learn more information about TENT across Aotearoa this weekend, check out the website.