The Physics Room: Starting New Conversations

The Physics Room has moved its gallery from the Worcester Boulevard and Montreal Street corner to the Art Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora’s Registry Building. 

Physics Room Director Jamie Hanton says that the shift into a more permanent site is on the back of its renewed six-year contract with Creative New Zealand, their longest to date. ‘This vote of confidence from our core funder allows us to make longer-term plans. The first activity in our new space is our annual fundraiser. We are working with Matt Galloway, Cushla Donaldson, Ayesha Green, and Oliver Perkins who are making limited edition prints, (supported by Ilam Editions, University of Canterbury).

‘The Physics Room exists to commission new work from a diverse range of artists.  We are the foremost commissioners of experimental non-commercial work in Christchurch, at any one time you should be able to see a snapshot of what contemporary practice is in the gallery. One of our roles is to support artists and exhibitions in Christchurch that may not be shown otherwise.’

‘We are opening our 2020 programme with a touring exhibition from the Gus Fisher Gallery. The Shouting Valley, featuring Cushla Donaldson's 501s, is a work The Physics Room commissioned for the 2018 Melbourne Art Fair. The work concerns Australian legislation that has led to the deportation of New Zealanders. The exhibition also features Turner Prize nominee Lawrence Abu Hamdan.'

‘Our role is to start new conversations, especially in a place like Christchurch. And, as a corollary to this, a responsibility to emerging practitioners, especially when there isn't currently a non-commercial artist-run space operating in town." 

LTD EDN: The Physics Room Annual Fundraiser, Ayesha Green, Cushla Donaldson, Matthew Galloway, and Oliver Perkins, Friday 6 December, 5:30pm, 301 Montreal St (Old Cheesemongers)

IMAGE
1. Oliver Perkins, Study for TPR Mural, acrylic on pre-primed canvas, 2018. The image is indicative of Oliver's print in the fundraiser. See: http://www.physicsroom.org.nz/  for fundraiser prints images.