Open Late
Event detail
Join us for the second instalment of Open Late 2026, an after-hours evening of art, music, performance, food and immersive experiences.
As the Gallery opens after dark, a programme of talks, performances and creative experiences inspired by our current exhibitions will invite you to encounter art in new and unexpected ways. Over the evening, enjoy live music, dance, a bar, food vendors and a photobooth celebrating Qīxī, Chinese Valentine’s Day.
See details below to find out more!
Proudly supported by Auckland Council Events
What to expect
Music
Te Ātea | North Atrium
The vibes are high at the main stage for this Open Late! DJ Gene Rivers will awaken the senses with his soulful vinyl spinning, followed by the evocative and visceral Louisa Nicklin, soul-stirring Taylah and Coco Solid bringing electric energy to round off the night on a high. This line-up is not to be missed!
Explore Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now
Make the most of Open Late with entry to Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now for $10. Your ticket gives you access throughout the evening to artist talks and other experiences taking place in the exhibition space.
Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now exhibition
The following talks take place in the exhibition and require a ticket to Forever Tomorrow to attend.
MEiQi: A performance response to Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now
Te Ātea | North Atrium
8:20pm to 8:40pm
Image credit: Photography: Jacob Reynolds, Design: Veronica Lyu
Contemporary dancer Veronica Lyu will perform her piece MEiQi, a response to the exhibition Forever Tomorrow. MEiQi, meaning ‘a piece of precious jade’, traces a return towards something uncannily familiar yet altered, like returning to a place that exists only in fragments.
Rooted in Veronica ChengEn Lyu’s connection to her homeland Yanji, the work explores the thresholds between memory and identity, self and others. Through breath, repetition and shifting physical textures, the body becomes a space where distance, cultural memory and traces of the past quietly resurface.
This performance of MEiQi emerges from within the performance installation Dream Fossils, constellations of dream and lineage that have been conceptualised and directed by artist Miriam Eskildsen, with design and construction by Ben Ryan, before unfolding into its own intimate physical landscape. Together, the works bring an illusory physical language into conversation with the gallery space and Forever Tomorrow.
Artist bio:
Veronica ChengEn Lyu is a movement artist, contemporary dancer and choreographer based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Through her creative practice, she brings improvisation, physical precision and shifting textures into movement landscapes that stretch towards the outer edges of sensation and imagination.
Mackelvie Gallery
Ground floor
et al. the fundamental practice exhibition
Level 2
Ruth Minh Ha and Claire Olsen talks
6:30pm to 7pm
Assistant Curator Ruth Minh Ha and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki Registrar Claire Olsen have been involved with the resurfacing of the fundamental practice into the public sphere, after its original presentation at the 2005 Venice Biennale. Join them for insights into the software and behind-the-scenes workings involved in bringing this multi-sensory installation to New Zealand audiences for the first time.
Image credit: et al., the fundamental practice, 2005, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, with the support of the Patrons of the Auckland Art Gallery, 2008. Installation view: 51st Venice Biennale, 2005. Photographs by Jennifer French.
A performance of light and sound
Ammon Ngakuru: Three Scenes 2025 on level 2
6pm to 9:30pm
Experience Ammon Ngakuru’s Three Scenes 2025 installation after dark, with immersive light and sounds drawing on the theatre of nature. Reconsidered as an open-air stage, objects ‘perform’ for viewers observing from the nearby park and the Gallery interior. Let the sound and light provide the theatre on the night and enjoy the show.
Qīxī photobooth
Main foyer
5:30pm to 9:30pm
To celebrate Qīxī (Chinese Valentines Day) take some memorable snaps with your loved one(s) – or your lovely self! Take these home as special keepsakes or post and tag @aucklandartgallery on Instagram to share the love with the community!
Qīxī craft | Jianzhi
E H McCormick Library
5:30pm to 9:30pm
Take part in a hands-on making experience inspired by Jianzhi (剪紙), the traditional art of Chinese paper-cutting. Drawing on ideas from artists Lu Pingyuan and Xiyadie, whose works feature in Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now, you’ll create your own Valentine-inspired paper cutting to take home – or give to your secret crush.
Food
Forecourt
5.30pm to 9.15pm
Our popular pop-up food court is back! This time around enjoy Kiwi classic Smashed Potatoes with deliciously hearty toppings or go for fusion with a Cheese Steak Sandwich, one of Iconic Auckland Eats Top 100. The choice is yours!
Bar
5.30pm to 9.15pm
Te Ātea | North Atrium
Experience the Gallery after dark at our free Open Late events, where art, music and creativity come together for an unforgettable night out. Explore the Gallery in a whole new light with live performances, hands-on activities, talks, food trucks and surprise moments.
It’s your chance to experience Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki like never before.
Proudly supported by
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