A new page work by Holloway-Smith (a collaboration with Raewyn Martyn) is featured in Hue & Cry 4, launched last Friday. Check it out: http://www.hueandcry.org.nz/

A new work by Bronwyn Holloway-Smith is to be unveiled today (8 December, 2009) at Massey University Wellington. The work, titled ‘Ghosts in the form of gifts’ has been commissioned by Massey University Wellington as their most recent acquisition, marking their 10th Anniversary at Wellington.

The artwork comprises ten objects that are replicas of artifacts imagined as lost, hidden or misregistered during the Museum of New Zealand’s tenure in the former Museum Building on Buckle St, now occupied by Massey University’s College of Creative Arts. The objects have been created through a process of drawing, digital 3D rendering, and finally printing with an Open Source 3-dimensional printer – the RepRap.

The digital files for the artefacts are freely available for educational re-use under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license.

The work is on permanent display in the foyer of the Executive Seminar Suite, Block 5, Gate A, Wallace St, Mt Cook with the web-based aspect of the work found at http://bronwyn.co.nz/projects/gifts.html

“Consider for a moment that Newton’s third law is a metaphor for the relationship between an artist and his or her audience. Despite postmodern aspirations to engage the viewer, many artists and art spaces still often promote the old adage ‘please do not touch’. Trevelyan’s implication inherent in his title predetermined that a visitor would have some kind of experience in his exhibition denoting an action or reaction, and raised the immediate question of ‘what, or even where, is the art engagement?’, challenging the audience to find out by way of action.” Read the rest here >

We’ve finally released our album for free download from: http://elbowvsknee.com under a Creative Commons license. Go get it now!

Reading on, I found that this question was the basis of a Citizens Initiated Referendum: “A Citizens Initiated Referendum gives everyone who is enrolled to vote the opportunity to vote on a specific question. A referendum is held when at least 10% of the people enrolled to vote sign a petition calling for one.”

So how many people is that? 2,356,536* people voted in the election last year, so ten percent would be roughly 235,653* people. Now, I don’t know too much about how these things work, and don’t get me wrong, I’m a great fan of democracy, but can someone tell me how 235,653* New Zealanders agreed that spending tax-payers money on a referendum with such an obviously biased question came about?

In response, I thought I’d come up with a few alternative questions for the referendum. Perhaps someone will start a petition on one of them and we’ll get to do another vote in a few months time. Fun!!

More here: http://yesvote.org.nz/

Alternative questions for the Citizens Initiated Referendum

1: “Is a smack good parental correction?”
2: “Should what goes on behind closed doors stay behind closed doors?”
3: “Should child abuse be stopped at all measures?”
4: “Should a smack as part of bad parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?”
5: “Have you, or anyone you know, had any trouble with the anti-smacking law?”
6: “Who decides whether something is good parental correction or not?”

Send further question suggestions here.

UPDATE, 18 June 09: A reader has kindly pointed out that I picked up the wrong statistics somewhere along the line. The actual election turnout in 2008 was 2,356,536 people (rather than the 234,456 I originally had…).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa1_EEShWWU

In a press conference on Monday John Key announced that Section 92A would be delayed until March 27th. There is a lot of work ahead but I hope everyone involved takes some time out to celebrate this victory. This shows how modern online movements and efforts can result in real world change. We couldn’t have done it without you — we’ve been amazed and humbled by your support. Thanks everyone!

UPDATE Mon 23 March 09:

Chris Keall at the NBR reports that “Prime Minister John Key has announced that the government will throw out the controversial Section 92A of the Copyright Amendment Act and start again. Section 92A has been scrapped.”. This is fantastic news, and it’s great that Prime Minister John Key has taken a stand on this important issue.

THOUSANDS AGAINST S92A
There are now over 4000 signatures on our petition against Guilt Upon Accusation laws in NZ. The petition can be signed by artists and the wider public at http://creativefreedom.org.nz

RESPONSE TO APRA’S STATEMENTS ON CFF
We were disappointed today to discover that APRA are ramping up their efforts to push for Section 92A: a flawed law that presumes Guilt Upon Accusation, punishing internet users with disconnection before a trial and before any evidence is held up to court scrutiny. Similar laws overseas have been used to stifle free speech and harm public rights. Since our launch one month ago thousands of artists have rejected the idea that the creative sector want injustices like this done in their name. No one wants to deprive money from artists, but this particular law is an inappropriate and extreme measure for dealing with the problem of copyright infringement.

Read our response to APRA here:
http://creativefreedom.org.nz/story.html?id=51

Are you a member of APRA? If you disagree with their stance on this issue, let us know that you don’t want APRA to do this in your name. We advocate on behalf of artists like you: we will represent you and promise to protect your privacy. Of course if you want to contact them yourself that’s good too!
Email us at: cff@holloway.co.nz

CFF NEWSLETTER, 17 JAN 09
Read the latest CFF Newsletter here, if you haven’t already: http://creativefreedom.org.nz/story.html?id=45

Bedwyr Williams
Enjoy Public Art Gallery
22 Jan-14 Feb 2009
Opening celebration and performance “Methodist to my Madness” 6pm, 21 Jan

For his exhibition at Enjoy, Williams will explore the limited power of the art poster. The show will include posters for exhibitions that never got off the ground and performances that never happened, baffling posters, clever posters, dumb posters, posters which stink of ink, posters that fade, posters designed by interns or drawn by children and simple posters.

The opening event will also feature Williams’ performance Methodist to my Madness in which he appears as a Methodist preacher. It is a performance work about the process of a performance, from beginning to end: from the invitation of the curator to dressing at the office of the gallery afterwards.  Raised in a religious family, church services were the first “performances” the artist saw. The theatrics of the frightening disciplinary sermons were Bedwyr Williams’ direct inspiration for this work.

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Bedwyr Williams will also undertake a One Day Sculpture commission for Enjoy on 12 Feb 09. For this 24-hour event Bedwyr will make every minute count. In Le ‘Welsh’ Man’s 24 hour an uncomfortable marriage between motorsports and art will be created. It will be fast, furious, and an event in which individual people, buildings, pets and the odd bump in the road will no doubt play an intricate part, and become the artistic subject matter.

The results of this intense gumball rally will accumulate by the hours, create a build up of anticipation, physical visual interpretations of his subjects and materialise to a grand finale. You have to be there. This one cannot be missed. See here for more info.

Both projects are curated by Siv B.Fjærestad.

The Creative Freedom Foundation launched on 18 December 2008 in New Zealand to unite artists who are against the removal of New Zealander’s rights through proposed changes in Copyright law, done in the name of protecting creativity.

The Foundation’s first campaign is against a proposed law in New Zealand: Sections 92A & C of the Copyright Amendment Act. S92 assumes ‘Guilt Upon Accusation’ – cutting off internet connections and websites based on accusations of Copyright infringement, without evidence or even a trial.

Sound unbelievable? Do something about it:

Save the Net, Sign the Petition!

Go to http://creativefreedom.org.nz/petition.html to sign the petition:
“I don’t want Guilt Upon Accusation laws that will force the termination of internet connections and websites without evidence, and without a fair trial.