Must visit Art Galleries of New Zealand
If you ever happen to visit the country of New Zealand, do not forget to take some time out and visit some of New Zealand's most celebrated art museums. We assure you it will be an experience of a lifetime and it will only broaden your knowledge in terms of the varied meanings of art.
Art galleries attract one and all, no matter what age bracket you fall into. The intricate details of art displays, the psychology of the artist behind it and the vibe of galleries themselves entail a very different feeling altogether. The art is not just placed there for the purpose of beauty, but for people to get acquainted with the information it gives out about the artist, his/her era, the intention of the art and several other important parameters.
While some visit art galleries around the world for mere pleasure, some visit them with the purpose of research or to work on a certain project. Some even visit out of fascination for certain artists. To each their own! If you must happen to belong to any such category, New Zealand had something exquisite to offer to you.
To help you out with your exploration, we have curated this article especially for you, making sure to add all the top priority museums to the list.
Have a look at these art galleries and plan your visit at your convenience.
Auckland Art Gallery
Auckland is laced with a bunch of incredibly assorted galleries, all unique in their display. The collectables in these galleries are known to date back to almost the 11th century. Crazy, isn't it? All collectables are one of a kind, having a fragment of history attached to their identity. This museum came into being when in 1870, the people of Auckland came to a mutual conclusion that the city required a municipal art collection, however, the newly appointed Auckland City Council was reluctant to provide funds for this project.
Later, when people like Sir Maurice O-Rorke (Speaker of House of Representatives) pressured the council and other officeholders, the establishment of the building of Art Gallery and Library was made mandatory as promised by significant bequests from two important benefactors at that point; colonial governor Sir George Grey and James Mackelvie.
In the year 2009, the museum received a remarkable donation from an American businessman named Julian Robertson. An announcement of over a hundred million dollars was made to the museum's share; one of the largest ever donations witnessed in the region. The displays will be received from the owner's estate.
You can read all about the pieces of art in the inscriptions present that the artefacts. Of all these commendable galleries, the oldest art gallery of the region is a must-visit for everyone who resonates with art.
It is estimated that approximately 15,000 artworks or probably more, are part of Auckland's Art Gallery's nationally identified collections. Can you imagine these numbers? The collection includes historic and modern art of New Zealand, a few of the exquisite artworks and sculptures which date back to the 11th century.
Imagine the care and attention with which these art pieces have been preserved through ages.
Christchurch Art Gallery
Due to a series of major earthquakes hitting New Zealand in 2010 and 2011, caused the museum to stay shut for a while. The abundance of space of the art gallery was later used as the city's primary civil defense headquarters aftermath the damage the city incurred at that time.
After the condition stabilized, the gallery was once again made open to the public in 2015. Before the gallery reclaimed its artistic glory and stood upright on its foundation again, it underwent a series of renovations and necessary repairs, which again consumed about a couple of years to acquire its form.
On today's date, all tourists and locals who visit the gallery are invited to engage themselves in the South Island’s largest known collection of public artworks and a series of a regular lineup of mesmerizing contemporary exhibitions. The museum is a peek into the reality of today's existence.
The Maori displays you see in the museum hold elemental significance to their names, such as Te Puna refers to Waipuna, an artesian spring located underneath the gallery and the word Waiwhetu understands for one of the numerous tributaries located in the immediate vicinity, flowing, and joining the River Avon. The word 'Waiwhetu' can be translated to 'water in which stars are reflected'.
Tauranga Art Gallery
Tauranga Art Gallery is the newest arrival in New Zealand in the list of renowned museums of the country. Even though the museum is a newcomer to the list, it is quite rapidly gaining fame in the country because of its rich collections and its impeccable architecture. A spectacular line of displays from New Zealand and around the world are to be put on display in this post-modern era museum, central-city space.
You would be intrigued to hear that the Tauranga Art Gallery has very recently earned itself a name in history by putting up the largest public display of Banksy's originals in the Southern Hemisphere region. If you do know about this mysterious artist, that is great! If you do not, let us give you a brief on the man.
Banksy is a world-famous (and anonymous) England-based street artist, a film director and a political activist whose real name and identity till today remains a mystery to people and no one has been able to confirm this. His identity has always been the centre of speculation for many. The artist has been active with his work exhibits since the 1990s, his satirical street art which is a mockery of society and his subversive epigrams manifest into dark comedy. His graffiti is often exhibited in a very peculiar style using distinctive stenciling techniques as a signature mark.
More than often, his spectacular works are seen as social and political commentary appearing randomly in public places such as walls, streets, bridges, across the world.
The gallery being new to the list also displays an annual exhibition of the most preferred artwork taken from local high school students.
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Auckland is a location with so much to offer that twenty-four hours would not do justice. There is something for everyone here, for nature lovers, surfers, shopaholics, adventure seekers, and mountaineers.
Dunedin Public Art Gallery
Starting with European excellence such as Monet and Rembrandt to all the way to the Japanese prints and the 19th-century specific New Zealand displays, if you are someone who is looking for fine art then the Dunedin Public Art Gallery in New Zealand is the perfect place for you to explore!
The gallery is known to be laced with an array of remarkable displays encompassing almost all known artistic periods in the history of the world. The Museum is separately famous for its spectacular architectural displays which makes sufficient space for air to enter. It also has a very aesthetically pleasing interior, another display of fine art that you’re looking for.
The museum orchestrates educational holiday programmes regularly and is also popular among the local families with children.
Since the gallery started to serve, its long existence has very carefully nurtured and hosted a good number of overseas exhibitions, these exhibits include Masterpieces of the Guggenheim (which was a modern show belonging to the 90s) and the touring Tate Gallery displays. The latest grand exhibit was The Pre-Raphaelite Dream, one of the most aesthetic displays of all. The collections include works of artists like Zanobi Machiavelli, Jacopo del Casentino (also known as Landini), Benvenuto Tisi (called Garofalo), Carlo Maratta, Luca Giordano, Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, Salvator Rosa, Pieter de Grebber, Claude Lorraine, Hans Rottenhammer, William Doson and Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger.
Govett-Brewster Art Gallery
A highly rhetoric always-compelling exhibition of contemporary art is what the Govett Brewster Art Gallery is. The gallery has been famously named after Monica Brewster who founded the New Plymouth institution in the year 1970. It was her undying passion to serve the community which inspired her to invest in and create the gallery. While the art museum is ladened with a beautiful art collection from all over the country, special attention has been shown to Pacific and Maori work amidst the collection.
All the art pieces are individually thought-provoking and carry a message with them. The only display which has found a permanent shelter at Govett-Brewster, however, is the Len Lye Centre which is essentially a cinema and kinetic art exhibit that pays its tribute to its namesake artist.
When you are on your New Zealand tour, do not forget to visit this legendary place. If nothing, you will gain knowledge on Pacific and Maori work, the culture and everything that is associated with them.
The Len Lye Centre was made as an extension to the Govett-Brewster gallery, with the intention to display the works of Len Lye. The building was designed by architect Andrew Patterson from Pattersons Associates, New Zealand. The centre is believed to be home to the archives and the studio collection from the Len Lye Foundation.
Len Lye took birth in Christchurch in the year 1901 and was primarily self-taught. His undying passion and growing interest in motion, energy and the very thought of trying to preserve and portray them into an art form was what titillated the possibility of the museum. His interest kept brewing and made him pursue his passion far from the madding crowd of New Zealand.
After his fruitful stay in the South Pacific, Lye continued his quest to London followed by New York, where he finally garnered public attention and became popular as an insanely creative filmmaker and kinetic sculptor.
The Len Lye Centre was inaugurated on the 25th of July 2015. First-ever gallery in the history of New Zealand to be entirely dedicated to one individual.
The Sarjeant Gallery
Picture taken from socialandco.nz
The Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui is known to harbour more than 8,000 artworks and archival pieces which cover about four centuries of European and New Zealand history encompassing their culture and lifestyle. This representation is done through a mixed medium, for example, while some features are old, some are contemporary, some are also represented through various cultures, photographs, different paintings, a variety of glassworks and ceramics. This endorsement of art began in the year 1919 and was founded at the bequest of a commoner called Henry Sarjeant (after whom the museum was named).
It has been a century now that this legendary building has been making rapid progress in its collection and architecture and plans on continuing to do so; remembering and preserving the Sargeant's legacy in the years to come. If you happen to visit the region, do drop by the museum and have a look at the extravagant display.
The museum harbours about 8,300 pieces of art in its very diverse range of gallery's collections which spans 400 years. Earlier the collection primarily focused on 20th century British and European history but considering the expansive terms of the will of Sarjeant, the collectables now encompass art that expands from the 16th century to the 21st century. A few of the international artists whose work found a place in the museum's display are Dominico Piolo, Edward Coley, Frank Brangwyn, William Etty, Bernardino Poccetti, Gaspard Dughet, Frederick Goodall, William Richmond, Lelio Orsi and Augustus John. Few of the artists from the homeland are Ralph Hotere, Charles Frederick Goldie, Colin McCahon, Peter Nicholls and Petrus Van Der Velden.
City Gallery Wellington
The City Gallery Museum is located in the heart of Wellington's civic square, and this museum came to be known as the first-ever non-collecting public art gallery which opened in the country of New Zealand. Since the museum was made open to the public in the year 1989, the display managed to garner a hearty reputation for its innovative display, pieces that had an interesting story attached to them and many other intriguing artefacts.
This exhibition puts primary focus on architectural designs, regional art of all kinds and other relevant displays, all talking about the history of New Zealand. Not just the country, but some of the art pieces even belong to foreign lands. An all-time exhibit of this museum is The Fault which talks volumes about the city's vulnerability of being built on top of an earthquake fault line. This is one of the major reasons why tourists swarm to this museum to catch a glimpse of this exhibit. If you too are curious to learn more about the fault, do pay a visit to the city gallery Wellington.
The address of the place is 101 Wakefield Street, Wellington, 6011, New Zealand.
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New Zealand Visa Application Form now allows visitors from all nationalities to obtain New Zealand eTA (NZETA) by email without visiting New Zealand Embassy. Government of New Zealand now officially recommends New Zealand Visa or New Zealand ETA online rather than sending paper documents. The only requirement is to have a Debit or Credit Card and email id. You do not need to send your passport for Visa stamping. If you are arriving to New Zealand by the Cruise Ship route, you should check the New Zealand ETA eligibility conditions for Cruise Ship arrival to New Zealand.
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