Light from Tate: 1700s to Now

Explore the startling beauty and resonance of light in Light from Tate: 1700s to Now, a major exhibition exclusive to Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Curated from the collections of Tate, UK, Light from Tate: 1700s to Now features nearly 100 artworks by celebrated artists across the globe from the 18th century to the present day.

Light from Tate: 1700s to Now tells the story of how light has captivated artists over time and across different media including painting, photography, sculpture, installation, drawing and moving image.

The exhibition features the historical paintings of visionary artists JMW Turner and John Constable, the impressionistic brushstrokes of Claude Monet, the bursts of sensorial colour painted by Wassily Kandinsky, Bridget Riley and Josef Albers, and the pioneering experimental photographs of the 1920s.

These incredible works are presented alongside mesmerising installations that include Olafur Eliasson’s crystalline sphere Stardust Particle, 2014, James Turrell’s space-melting Raemar, Blue, 1969 and Lis Rhodes’ immersive Light Music, 1975.

Other well-known artists in the exhibition are Vilhelm Hammershøi, Dan Flavin, Liliane Lijn, Tacita Dean, Pae White and many more.

Please note, this exhibition creates immersive and multi-sensory experiences that include darkened rooms, neon light works, simulated smoke and more. You can download a sensory map here. If you would like more information, please email feedback@aucklandartgallery.com. 

Accompanying the exhibition is a catalogue edited by Kerryn Greenberg, former Head of International Collection Exhibitions at Tate with a foreword by Gallery Director Kirsten Lacy. Showcasing artworks from the past 200 years, the book Light from Tate: 1700s to Now reveals how the intangibility of light continues to fascinate.

Replete with full-colour illustrations and illuminating texts, the book explores how artists in Tate’s collection have perceived, pictured and utilised light and captured its transcendent effects in painting, photography and sculpture over the last 300 years.

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, and Auckland Art Gallery Foundation. The exhibition is indemnified by the New Zealand Government. Light from Tate: 1700s to Now is presented in association with Auckland Arts Festival 2023.

Image credit: John Brett, The British Channel Seen from the Dorsetshire Cliffs, 1871, Tate: Presented by Mrs Brett 1902. Photo: Tate.

Explore the startling beauty and resonance of light in Light from Tate: 1700s to Now, a major exhibition exclusive to Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Curated from the collections of Tate, UK, Light from Tate: 1700s to Now features nearly 100 artworks by celebrated artists across the globe from the 18th century to the present day.

Light from Tate: 1700s to Now tells the story of how light has captivated artists over time and across different media including painting, photography, sculpture, installation, drawing and moving image.

The exhibition features the historical paintings of visionary artists JMW Turner and John Constable, the impressionistic brushstrokes of Claude Monet, the bursts of sensorial colour painted by Wassily Kandinsky, Bridget Riley and Josef Albers, and the pioneering experimental photographs of the 1920s.

These incredible works are presented alongside mesmerising installations that include Olafur Eliasson’s crystalline sphere Stardust Particle, 2014, James Turrell’s space-melting Raemar, Blue, 1969 and Lis Rhodes’ immersive Light Music, 1975.

Other well-known artists in the exhibition are Vilhelm Hammershøi, Dan Flavin, Liliane Lijn, Tacita Dean, Pae White and many more.

Please note, this exhibition creates immersive and multi-sensory experiences that include darkened rooms, neon light works, simulated smoke and more. If you would like more information, please email feedback@aucklandartgallery.com.

Accompanying the exhibition is a catalogue edited by Kerryn Greenberg, former Head of International Collection Exhibitions at Tate with a foreword by Gallery Director Kirsten Lacy. Showcasing artworks from the past 200 years, the book Light from Tate: 1700s to Now reveals how the intangibility of light continues to fascinate.

Replete with full-colour illustrations and illuminating texts, the book explores how artists in Tate’s collection have perceived, pictured and utilised light and captured its transcendent effects in painting, photography and sculpture over the last 300 years.

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, and Auckland Art Gallery Foundation. The exhibition is indemnified by the New Zealand Government. Light from Tate: 1700s to Now is presented in association with Auckland Arts Festival 2023.

Members FREE – Become a Member

Adults $26.50
Seniors and Community Card holders $21.50
Students [with Student ID] $21.50
Children 12 and under FREE 
(All children 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult)

How to book

In advance – Book your tickets online in advance. 

BUY TICKETS

On the day – You can buy tickets on any day of the exhibition (Wednesday 1 March – Sunday 25 June 2023) from the Gallery's information desk on our Ground level.

Please note, we’re operating a timed-entry system for this exhibition with entry available every half hour. Your ticket gives you entry to the exhibition once and you may arrive up to 15 mins after the time you have selected. Entry after this time will be at the Gallery’s discretion. There is no limit to the length of time you spend in the exhibition. The Gallery closes at 5pm daily.

For updates on on-the-day ticket availability, please call +64 9 307 7700.

If you have pre-booked your ticket online, you can head straight to the exhibition on Level 1 to validate your ticket for entry.

More information

Prices include GST. Booking and delivery fees, where charged, are additional to the admission price.

There is no entry charge for children aged 12 or under, however you will need to select a FREE child ticket type when booking in advance online. Please note all children aged 14 or under must be accompanied by an adult. 

Auckland Art Gallery Members go FREE. Members with a guest pass may also bring their guests for FREE. Please choose the FREE Member ticket type when booking in advance online. Alternatively, present your membership card at our information desk on the day of your visit and you will be issued with a ticket to the exhibition.

BUY MEMBERSHIP

Join us as a Member on the same day as your visit to Light from Tate: 1700s to Now and we’ll refund the price of your exhibition ticket. Members receive a range of benefits, including free unlimited entry to paid exhibitions, invitations to Members-only events, access to the Members lounge, and discounts in our shop and café. Ask us for more information while on your visit to the exhibition.

Groups

Please book at least two weeks in advance of your visit to secure entry to this exhibition. Advance booking is essential to guarantee entry. To make a group booking, please email gallerytours@aucklandartgallery.com.

Discounted entry is only available for groups who book in advance:

Adults: $24

Seniors and Community Services Card Holders: $20

Unbooked groups are charged standard admission prices.

Primary, Secondary, Tertiary group bookings

Please book at least two weeks in advance of your visit to secure entry to this exhibition. Advance booking is essential to guarantee entry and very large groups may need to be admitted into the exhibition in smaller groups. We reserve the right to add extra staff to supervise large groups. To make a group booking, please email education@aucklandartgallery.com.

Discounted entry is only available for groups who book in advance:

Primary school group students: No charge

Secondary school group students: $10

Tertiary group students: $10

Separate charges may apply for accompanying teachers and adults.

Teacher/adult-to-student ratios apply:

Years 1-4 / Ages 5-9 – 1:6

Years 5-7 / Ages 10-11 – 1:7

Years 7-10 / Ages 12-15 – 1:10

Years 11-13 / Ages 16-18 – 1:30

Shop

Explore the full selection of Light from Tate inspired gifts, including exclusive products available only from our shop. Or you can browse online. 

SHOP ONLINE