Permanent Digital Arts Showcase on the Shore

7 April 2017

A free, interactive digital art experience is set to make its permanent home at the Bruce Mason Theatre in Takapuna, when Auckland Live’s digital art screen relocates from the Auckland CBD.

For the past six years the Digital Art Live screen at the Aotea Centre has been the hub of a unique space giving artists and audiences the opportunity to discover the world of interactive digital art.

Dozens of local and international artists, including Shannon Novak, Seung Yul Oh, Kim Newall, Vaimaila Urale and Jean Dubois have staged exhibitions on the three metre wide screen. All the exhibits have been interactive, meaning audiences become part of the works through movement and engagement with the big screen.

The screen marks its debut at the Bruce Mason Centre on 18 April with Jenna Gavin’s and Matthew Martin’s Birds of a Shadow, a playful installation where family, friends and strangers can work together to discover beautifully crafted images of native birds on the screen. Inspired by shadow puppets, the work lets participants match their body shape to birds’ shadows, revealing the full images of the digital birds.

Auckland Live’s Digital Art Live programme manager, Nolwenn Lacire, says the screen’s deployment to the Centre comes at a time when Auckland Live is seeking to collaborate further with artists to create a catalogue of digital content for the venue.

“We are dedicated to supporting local talent, as well as showcasing works by emerging talent and international artists, and would love to hear from creative practitioners interested in developing an interactive experience with a screen component,” says Ms Lacire.

She says Auckland Live is open to considering work that reacts to motion, text input, audio or real time components or that presents an extension to the interactive experience through the web or mobile devices.

Ms Lacire encourages all interested artists to contact her at Auckland Live for information on the submission process.