The dam at the northern end of Lake Karapiro. Photo / Sarah Ivey
The dam at the northern end of Lake Karapiro. Photo / Sarah Ivey
KEY POINTS:
An exhibit of the flooding of the former Waikato River town of Horahora to create a hydroelectric dam is set to appear at the prestigious Vienna Art Biennale.
Previous New Zealand entries in the international art exposition have been taxpayer funded through Creative New Zealand and the lastproved controversial.
The Fundamental Practice by Auckland artist Merilyn Tweedie was a collection of wire fences, computers and dalek-like moving sheds.
Tweedie, who uses the collective name "et al", had one of her previous works described as a "portaloo that brayed like a donkey".
Now Massey University electronic media artist Rachael Rakena and Auckland sculptor Brett Graham will have to raise $350,000 to get their sculptural and video installation Aniwaniwa to Venice, Massey News reported.
The piece is about Horahora, which was a village on the Waikato River until it was flooded for the hydroelectric dam at Lake Karapiro.
Aniwaniwa was on display at Te Manawa gallery in Palmerston North for several months until February.
Its curator Alice Hutchison told the magazine the exhibit was appropriate for Venice.
"The notion of submersion is highly pertinent to the slowly sinking city of Venice and our Italian colleagues are really excited about this work."
New Zealand is not sending an official entry to the Venice Art Biennale, but plans to send one next time in 2009.
Creative New Zealand may contribute funding for Aniwania, with a decision due in May.
It spent $500,000 on each of New Zealand's previous three entries, in 2001, 2003 and 2005.
