Still Lives

Overview

Following a successful international run in Melbourne, Venice, Taipei and Shanghai, artists Luke George and Daniel Kok are bringing their exhibition Still Lives to Auckland for the first time. This thought-provoking work uses female-identifying rugby players to form a static human artwork, placing the players in a scrum position and tying them together with ropes.

On Saturday March 30, the human sculpture will be created at Auckland's Town Hall, with the forming, tying and untying of the scrum part of the two-and-a-half-hour experience. The performance will be completely immersive, with lighting and sound effects surrounding the crowd to create the feeling of being in a rugby stadium.

Four of the participating players taking part in the sculpture include sports journalist Alison Soper, Black Fern Vita Dryden, Auckland Storm player Kelvery Longopoa and Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit and former Black Fern Rochelle Martin. Video portraits will be installed around the Still Lives formation, which will play highlights of the groups' individual sports careers, with the players detailing the challenges they have faced and the importance of the rugby in their lives.

The Still Lives artists hope the experience will encourage conversation, addressing the ever present issues that exist in women's sports — especially in a nation that is fuelled by All Blacks wins and losses. The artists will also aim to bring topics such as racism, homophobia and transphobia to light through the way they connect the ropes and join the players' bodies together.