Nelio and Duncan Passmore

Property partner: Nidus Properties Ltd

Cnr Torrens and Webb Street (Upper Cuba)

28 March - 4 April 2015. Saturday 2pm - 8pm, Sunday 2pm - 6pm, Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 6 pm.

Images: Gabrielle McKone

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Mixing the worlds of the gallery and the street, Laou is the result of a collaboration between French artist Nelio and British artist Duncan Passmore, working with the local creative community.

This internal display of artists known for their street and gallery artwork joins the vibrant collaborative street art culture visible externally on walls in Torrens and Cuba Streets - around the corner from the occupied space. This is an exhibition of collaborative works created as part of a residency program held at Th'ink Studios, Lyall Bay during March.

The name Laou comes from the book Papalagi, written by Eric Scheurmann in the 1920s. It refers to an alleged text written by Tuiavii, a Samoan chief, regarding the concept that there is no individual ownership within their culture, and words such as “mine” and “yours” do not exist. Nelio and Passmore have used this as a reference point for their work. 

Nelio and Passmore have collaborated on murals and studio works for over six years, with their first official collaborative residency last summer in Lyon, France. This year Laou has also seen contributions from renowned Wellington street artists Ed Bats and Jon Drypnz.