Ōtautahi is home to a thriving arts scene. At its centre are the tertiary institutions that feed into it, Te Wānanga, Ara Visual Arts and our very own Ilam School of Fine Arts.

Despite students exhibiting at Ilam Campus Gallery most of the second semester, it doesn’t seem exhibitions get much wider university traction. These exhibitions are called “Student Series.”

So far, Virginia Ferguson and CJ Maglaqui have exhibited SQUELCH! and Rory Mainwaring and Bella Macdonald exhibited Re-Earth.

SQUELCH! was a moving image show/sound work using slow scan television technology and Hellschreiber radio to create images generated by a sound that could be activated in the gallery space.

CJ said “We got into contact with the Christchurch Amateur Radio Club and decided to get our Amateur Radio Operating licence. During the process, we realized the possibilities radio had for an art project.”

Virginia described Hellschreiber “like World War II era texting.” Slow scan television is when the International Space Station drops signals. “You can pick them up and it'll be decoded into a picture” Virginia said.

“Signals are always vulnerable to external stimuli, like power poles, electricity, other radios, other signals, the sun, the atmosphere, they're fragile things.”

CJ compared the audio distortion to culture loss. “Using radio in this way, the distortions and low fidelity of the SSTV [slow scan TV] signals, was a means to communicate our difficulty communicating in our native tongue.”

Re-Earth was a “relational work” featuring 85 handcrafted ceramic cups which turned the gallery space into a cozy lounge, allowing students to relax and enjoy a hot chocolate.

Rory explained “Re-Earth [...] stems from a desire to kind of embrace slower modes of being, [...] looking at the blurring between art and everyday life.”

“This re-grounding that we can access both through community building, but then also through objects. The sentiment we place into objects, which for me and Bella, ties in nicely, because we're both into ceramics and making ceramics.”

Bella said “I wanted to do a thing, and kind of had this idea for some sort of community engagement, relational work. [...] We're both into engaging the community.”

Despite the hard work Fine Arts put into exhibitions, the artists agreed the exhibitions are not far-reaching on campus.

Virginia said “unfortunately, Student Series is still quite insular. Like it is a really nice stepping stone for fine arts students, specifically just for them.”

“It gives you an opportunity to write your own proposal, work with a technician, work with the gallery committee to develop this idea that's really good for strengthening your own artistic practice, but it doesn't really go to the greater university. [...] People from the arts community come in to support because they always support those kinds of events.”

CJ agreed “I think it also fosters those connections with fellow contemporaries because it allows the passing and bouncing of ideas at the exhibition.”

“However, it is small and appeals to a specific demographic, thus exposure to the rest of the university is difficult.”

Rory said “I had a couple of friends who don't study Fine Arts who came to the show and really enjoyed it, but I feel like often it's limited to the art scene and to personal connections [...] more so than maybe a wider student connection.”

“I think it still makes a really big impact on students and it's an interesting little niche in the art world as well. I think student galleries have always kind of been an interesting place for shows to be expressed.

UCSA President Luc Mackay attended the opening of Re-Earth -- his first time attending an exhibition at Ilam Campus Gallery.

He said “I think it’s very important as President to understand and engage with the different areas of student culture that we have at the university.”

“There’s not necessarily a bridge between being an average student [...] and being able to access something that’s different. Not that it’s not accessible, but that there is a culture around it, and often cultures feel [...] a little bit insulated. If you hadn't invited me, I would have gone, ‘well it’s not really my place,’ but sure I personally would like to go! But your average student might not.”

Bella said “we would love it for people to come from the rest of the uni, but [...] we weren't necessarily trying to engage outside of our own community, to create a space for the people who are already engaged.”

If you’re feeling like you’re missing out, you can see the next Student Series “Breathe. Draw. Hold. Release.” By Claudia Du from the 13th - 20th of August, followed by “Heaven and the Hard Shoulder” from 10th September - 17th September. You can follow Fine Arts students’ work by checking out @ucfinearts on Instagram.

You can check out the artists on Instagram:

@gne.mkv | Virginia Ferguson

@cchhrryyssttoo | CJ Maglaqui

@artbyroryem | Rory Mainwaring

@bellamacart | Bella Macdonald

Students, Seriously? Ilam Campus Gallery Exhibitions and Wider Uni Culture

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