A multi-disciplinary artist and a much admired figure within the New Zealand art industry, Lisa Reihana (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi, Ngati Tu) has contributed to the fields of multimedia, photography, sculpture and moving image over her career. Lisa has exhibited extensively in New Zealand and internationally in places such as Italy, Australia, New York and the United Kingdom. Highly experienced producer, percussionist and sound engineer James Pinker has a long history in the music industry and in the art-world as a curator (currently Senior Programme Leader, Arts & Culture, Auckland Council).

Lisa and co-collaborator James are coming to Spark to discuss Lisa’s latest ambitious project In Pursuit of Venus: [infected]. This major video work has been in development for several years and is a moving image interpretation of the 1804 French scenic wallpaper Les Sauvages De La Mer Pacifique. 200 years on, Lisa worked with actors, dancers and a large production crew to animate the figures depicted in the original wallpaper exploring the complexities of cultural identity and colonisation.

An immersive experience to watch, In Pursuit of Venus is a thirty-two minute long multi-channel projection and is currently showing at the Auckland Art Gallery (till 30 August).

Lisa and James will be discussing the creation of the video and soundtrack, and will explore the concepts and ideas behind the work that contributed to this major project.