Hey Everyone!

So let me start off by saying that I’m obsessed with the TV series ‘Suits’. I started watching it recently and it’s the best thing ever. I highly recommend. 

Today’s topic is Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki. So I went to the art gallery over the weekend and it was really amazing. It wasn’t too small but it wasn’t too big, so it’s perfect if you don’t want to spend the whole day in an art gallery but it’s also not too short that you’ll be wasting your money. I do recommend you try to get there when the doors open at 10am because then it’s not too busy and you can make your way through without a whole bunch of people standing in your photo opp. Oh that’s another thing I wanted to talk about. You can take pictures. I didn’t know if you could because there are just so many security people and I was just not sure, but you can.

So if you’re like me and you don’t want to read all of the little paragraphs about each painting and you just want to take pictures of the art, admire it for like 5 seconds and talk about where your bed will go if you lived there, then you’ll only take about an hour to get through the whole gallery. If you’re not then well I’m not sure.

Pricing:

If you’re a member or a NZ resident then the entry is free, you’ll just have to show your driver’s license, library card or your member card. If you’re international then there are a range of prices, so I’ll just link where you can find it on the website: https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/visit/visitor-information/admission

The Exhibitions:

Frances Hodgkins: European Journeys (separate pricing from the entry fee):

Pricing: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2019/frances-hodgkins-european-journeys/auckland This is till the 1st of September 2019. I didn’t go in here because I thought the rest of the exhibitions would have taken a long time to get through but then it didn’t and I kinda regretted not going to this one. It sounds really good though and if you’re planning on coming to Auckland before September then I would recommend going.

Guerilla Girls: Reinventing the ‘F’ word – Feminism:

This is till 15th of October 2019. I didn’t spend too much time in this area because the Guerilla masks on the pictures were just a bit creepy for me, but other than that it was really colorful and informative. The one thing that did bother me just a bit was that most of the art work looked like adverts for different things and I just didn’t like it, but it was creative to do it in that way and to present feminism in a different way, that I think hasn’t been done before. I also really liked the chalkboard, I thought that was quite fun.

Fa’ani and RoBro present DiscoVERY:

This is till the 3rd of November 2019. Oh my goodness this was closed when I went to the gallery but it looked really cool because there were really cool lights that I kinda want for my room. So if you do go to this or have been to it please let me know how it was because I really wanted to go. 

In the listening light: Momentary impressions in painting 1890-1920:

This is till the 17th of November 2019. I didn’t like this part very much because I just wasn’t drawn to it in any way and kinda just looked and walked right past. Now I know that art enthusiasts would be disappointed by this but everybody has their own cup of tea and this was not mine. The frames around the paintings were also putting me off because in my opinion they just didn’t suit it. 

Flight Plan:

This is till the 23rd of November. My mom loved the space that this exhibition was in and so did I. It looked really nice and we were like planning where our bed would go if we lived there and yeah it was fun. The art pieces were really beautiful and I could so see them in my home.

Ralph Hotere: Godwit/Kuaka:

This is till the 30th of November 2019. This was just one long piece of art that was really colorful and beautiful but since it’s only one piece we didn’t spend too much time looking at it.

The Body Reborn: 

This is till the 30th of November 2019. I was kinda disturbed by this section but I think they definitely got the effect they were looking for, whatever it might have been. The piece in the middle though was quite nice and I would not mind having a smaller scale of it. 

• 

• 

Radical Beginnings:

This is till the 30th of November 2019. I really liked all of these pieces. They were all beautiful and if someone were to give them to me then I’d be very happy. The piece called Te tu a te wahine was by far my favorite because it was just really beautiful and I’d really like a replica. 

• 

• 

Seeing Moana Oceania:

This is till the 30th of November 2019. There was one specific piece that really caught my eye and that was the Masculine Me Tender. I thought it was really creative and different. There was also this very beautiful tapestry type of thing that I would honestly have in my home as well.

• 

• 

Judy Millar: Rock Drop:

This is till the 31st of December 2019. This was just one piece of art that was hanging in the air and it was so cool. I really liked it and I think it fit the space really well.

Love, longing, loss:

This is till the 26th of January 2020. This was by far my favorite section because all of the paintings were amazing and the frames suited them really well. The area also looked really clean and it was just great. The paintings also suited the area they were in and it just all worked and I would definitely recommend going to this if you’re planning on coming to Auckland before the 26th.

The Wake: A poem in the forest:

This is till the 27th of January 2020. I thought this was different from what I’ve seen before, and I know I’ve said for practically all of the exhibitions that they’re different but this definitely is. The space is really cool and I’d love it as a room and I’d honestly have the poem paintings on the wall as well because they’re quite cool. Although I couldn’t make out what some of the words were in the poem it was still cool to look at and definitely worth a visit.

• 

• 

From the archive: Colin McCahon in Auckland:

This is till the 31st of January 2020. This wasn’t like a whole bunch of painting but rather letters and just information. There are also a few photographs and yeah. I don’t really have a lot to say about this area.

• 

• 

Pillars: Project another country:

This is till the 16th of February 2020. My mom loved these hanging pieces. They were really cool and creative. You can see them from the outside of the building so they were definitely big and eye catching, which I think is a good trait for art work.

Living Portraits: Mata Raurangi:

This is till the 31st of May 2020. This section was really realistic and beautiful. All of the portraits were amazing and whoever did them was seriously talented and I would not mind having one of them in my home. Other than that I don’t really have much to say about this.

• 

• 

• 

So as you can probably tell by reading this I generally don’t have much to say, besides saying they’re different, creative and beautiful, and well that’s because they all are and I’m not like a huge art enthusiast that goes into depth about every painting and analyzes why the artist might have done this/that. Overall though I would seriously recommend you visiting this art gallery because it really is great and seeing all the art created by so many artistic and creative people is amazing. I also feel that looking at art really makes you realize that you can create so many things in so many different ways and you don’t necessarily have to be absolutely amazing at art, you just have to have a message to share and have fun.

I hope this was helpful if you’re planning on coming to Auckland and wanted some inspiration for something to do here, although there are so many things to do here but I feel like this is a must. Before I keep rambling on I’m going to close off here. If you’ve been to this art gallery then comment down below which section was your favorite. 

Bye for now!