Space Out West
Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery opened in 2014 in an award-winning custom-made building designed by Mitchell & Stout Architects. Since then, it has established itself as a sought-out destination in the art itineraries of its local community and beyond. The spatial tensions presented by the building’s diverse internal architecture are part of every visit. In the spring of 2017, exhibitions in the two large galleries made good use of the possibilities of each space to create installations of complexity.
On first encounter, the entrance to the large ground-floor gallery may seem blocked by a 12-metre curved wall. As I walk alongside it, in a space that functions like a passageway—a half-way or going-to space—an other-worldly soundscape can be heard. Its shifting moods and tonal layers have been created by Auckland musician, composer and sound artist Jeff Henderson. On reaching the end of the wall, it becomes clear that this is the soundtrack to , a five-channel video by Robert George (Ngati Kuki Airani
