Over 100 hundred artists exhibiting in a beautiful outdoor setting on the North Shore of Auckland from 6th – 16th November 2014.

This is the 10th Biennial, making the show the longest running of its kind in New Zealand.

What tends to set this show apart is the juxtaposition of established artists alongside emerging artists, from a broad range of ethnicities.

The most memorable pieces for us included:

Lang Ea – Listen, 2014
Lang is a Cambodian artist who fled with her family to New Zealand in 1979 to escape the Khmer Rouge regime. The setting for her work by Fort Takapuna emphasises the horrors the Cambodia people endured for decades. Having recently returned from Cambodia, this piece was both saddening and inspirational at the same time.

Paul Brunton – Playing the Corporate Game, 2014
Anyone who has traded corporate life for alternative ventures will be able to relate to this work. The scorched, rough hewn wood contrasts perfectly with the geometric shapes of conformity.

Jenny McLeod – Sea of Bowls, 2014
These glass bowls are the work of a true craftsperson. There are no academic ponderings or stories to be overlaid. This piece is simply harmonised with a spectacular natural setting.

Carolyn Williams – A Wordless Song, 2014
An intriguing sculpture that uses Siegfried Sassoon’s poem, Everyone Sang, as inspiration. The viewer is encouraged to pause, watch, listen and observe. This work will not be understood with a cursory glance.

Isla Osborne & Devoney Scarfe – Ladies a Plate, 2014
This temporal sculpture is clear testament to the artists fascination with the link between opulence and decay. The piece originally installed was constructed using traditional icing techniques, they call “icing graffiti”. It is likely this piece will have completely disappeared by the time the show comes to an end.