In this new body of work Christchurch based multimedia artist Robyn Webster collaborates with acclaimed writer and poet Bernadette Hall in exploring and uncovering the rich history and narratives of Matakaea, Shag Point.

“Near where the Shag River empties into the sea, near where the road branches off up into the Pig Route, Highway 85. Near Moeraki where the baskets went overboard when the canoes tipped- Moeraki of the round, round rocks. Near Horse Range, near Trotters Gorge…Here is a rock shelf of extraordinary patterns, spheres, round hollows, ovals and moonscapes. Here was found the fossilised remains of a plesiosaur, excavated in secret and removed holus bolus to Otago University, where it was given its beautiful name, Kaiwhekia Katiki. Named from where it lay down and died, 74 million years ago, before language, before the place even had its current location, let alone its name.”

In an exhibition which incorporates sculpture, visual imagery and poetic text, Webster and Hall take a journey of discovery beyond the mere location of this significant site. Observations, conversations and memory collide in this remarkable pairing.

This exhibition will open with an artist talk by Robyn Webster on Saturday 21 November at 2pm.

Header Image: Robyn Webster, Matakaea, Shag Point (Detail), 2015 Copyright © 2015 AAG. All Rights Reserved.

Image: Robyn Webster, Matakaea, Shag Point (Detail), 2015 Copyright © 2015 AAG. All Rights Reserved.