Tuesday 7 February 2023
Tickets to the major international exhibition, Light from Tate: 1700s to Now at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki are now on sale. Opening Wednesday 1 March, this multi-sensory blockbuster exhibition from Britain’s premier art gallery features nearly 100 works by celebrated artists working across different media including painting, photography, sculpture, installation, drawing and the moving image.
Drawn from the collections of Tate, Light from Tate: 1700s to Now showcases the work of some of history’s most reflective artists as they grapple with light as a subject and medium.
In an Aotearoa New Zealand exclusive, Light from Tate: 1700s to Now presents stellar works by a global cast of iconic artists including Josef Albers, John Constable, Tacita Dean, Olafur Eliasson, Dan Flavin, Vilhelm Hammershøi, Wassily Kandinsky, Yayoi Kusama, Liliane Lijn, Claude Monet, Lis Rhodes, Bridget Riley, JMW Turner, James Turrell, Pae White and many more.
Traversing three centuries, this expansive exhibition starts in the 18th century and finishes in the present, exploring light in the outdoors, through the lens, in the city and in the home. Light from Tate: 1700s to Now charts artists throughout time as they search for answers to their moral, spiritual and scientific questions through the subject of light.
The craft of painting is juxtaposed with contemporary installations; Liliane Lijn explores light through solid form alongside JMW Turner while Yayoi Kusama’s The Passing Winter, 2005, immerses viewers in a seemingly infinite expanse of floating, luminescent dots, alongside her forebears, the Impressionists.
The profound exhibition is punctuated with moments of wonder and sensory immersion, covering the themes of creation, cosmic energy and the life-giving power of light.
Auckland Art Gallery Director Kirsten Lacy says the Gallery has a proud history working with Tate.
‘Light from Tate: 1700s to Now is a sensational exhibition. Every space is a homage to the transformative power of light and to the artists who sought to harness and explore it. Throughout the exhibition, visitors will feel enlivened, inspired and immersed as they experience the sensory and emotional impacts of light.’
Neil McConnon, Director of International Partnerships of Tate says, ‘Light from Tate: 1700s to Now celebrates the surprising and myriad ways artists have explored light over 200 years and across time and artform. Tate is delighted to be collaborating with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki again to bring this major exhibition to audiences in New Zealand, offering a rare opportunity to experience some of the most prized artworks from Tate’s extensive collection in Auckland.’
The Gallery will complement the exhibition with an array of activities and events including celebrations on the exhibition’s opening weekend, paint and sip sessions, talks and tours, which will continue until closing day. See below for more details.
Accompanying the exhibition is a catalogue, Light from Tate: 1700s to Now, edited by Kerryn Greenberg, former Head of International Collection Exhibitions at Tate and with a foreword by Auckland Art Gallery Director Kirsten Lacy. The book includes commentary on and illustrations of the majority of artworks in the exhibition, with beautiful reproductions that keep the exhibition experience alive.
Light from Tate: 1700s to Now is presented in collaboration with Tate and is proudly supported by HSBC, AUT, British Council New Zealand and the Pacific, Auckland Art Gallery Foundation and MediaWorks. The exhibition is indemnified by the New Zealand Government. Light from Tate: 1700s to Now is presented in association with Auckland Arts Festival 2023.
Exhibition detail:
Light from Tate: 1700s to Now
When:
Wednesday 1 March – Sunday 25 June 2023
10am – 5pm daily
Where:
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Cnr Kitchener and Wellesley Streets
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland,
Aotearoa New Zealand
Admission:
Members FREE
Adults $26.50
Concessions $21.50
Children under 12 FREE
Event and activities for Light from Tate: 1700s to Now
Light from Tate: 1700s to Now Opening Weekend
Celebrate the opening of Light from Tate: 1700s to Now with a weekend of food, music, crafts, and free talks. Enjoy live music, food-truck goodies, and make your own light-inspired crafts with friends and whānau.
Details: Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 March 10am–5pm. Exhibition entry additional.
Members Late
Join your fellow art enthusiasts for a late night visit to Light from Tate: 1700s to Now.
Details: Monday 6 March 6–8pm. Pay-What-You-Can, Members only.
Light Night
Explore Light from Tate: 1700s to Now with special after-hours access and events. Immerse yourself in interactive, light-inspired artworks, then be captivated by a light-filled performance by Dance Plant Collective. Get crafty with glow-in-the-dark masterpieces, play with shadow and light and be blown away by magic tricks. Filling two floors of the Gallery with light-filled activations, Light Night brings masterpieces to life and creates a fun experience for the whānau
Details: Saturday 18 March 5.30–8.30pm. General public $32, Children $5, Family-pass $53, Member $5. Exhibition entry included.
Light Night is presented in association with Auckland Arts Festival 2023.
