17-21 October 2017
Thistle Hall Gallery
Adam Auditorium – City Gallery (17 October)
Wellington Waterfront

As earthquake prone cities, Christchurch, Wellington, and Sendai, Japan share common ground through recent experience. These cities are now looking to build earthquake resilience and create ‘resilient cities’. But how do we create stronger communities, and what is the role of art and urban design in building these cities?

In its negotiation of public space and public arts development work Urban Dream Brokerage assisted Shared Lines: Wellington. The event brought artists already effected by earthquake to the capital to encourage new discussion. It was a week-long series of art displays, talks, performances, and workshops, with artists from Japan, Christchurch and Kaikoura sharing their experience, knowledge and work in building resilience alongside the business and city planning sectors. The programme seeks to ‘earthquake strengthen’ the Wellington arts community.

Yasuaki Igarashi's major public artwork 'Sora-Ami: Knitting the Sky' was installed in the Wellington waterfront lagoon (a separate story on this work can be read here), with a partnership with Taranaki Whanaui, Wellington Waterfront, Willis Bond and the assistance of Goldfish Creative. Well attended artist talks and panel discussions were held at Adam Auditorium (City Gallery Wellington) on Tuesday evening, 17 October, and an exhibition and many other events will be held at Thistle Hall Gallery, upper Cuba Street histed by a collective of artists. Three Japanese artists exhibited alongside eight Christchurch and three Kaikoura based artists. Yasuaki Igarashi's major public artwork 'Sora-Ami: Knitting the Sky' was installed in the Wellington waterftont lagoon. A seperate story on this work is here.

With the increasing number and severity of natural disaster and humanitarian crises faced by towns and cities around the Pacific Rim, we need new ways to discuss and respond in ways that sees the community work alongside the decision-makers in emergency preparedness, disaster relief and rebuilding efforts. Engineers, property developers, architects, city planners and bureaucrats are invited to participate in panel discussions with artists.

Shared Lines emerged out of the earthquake events that devastated Canterbury, New Zealand, and Fukushima, Japan in 2011. Shared Lines is now an established collective of artists and art producers that aim to promote artistic exchange between cities and use art to build resilient cities.

Shared Lines: Wellington is the second major project run by the collaborative. The first being a highly successful two stage art exchange between Sendai, Japan and Christchurch following the natural disasters of 2011 in the two cities. It developed into 5 exhibitions in Sendai and Shiogama, Japan and in Christchurch and Queenstown, New Zealand with over 50 artists contributing to the shows and forums. Wellington artists who resonate with the upcoming event will team up for a Christchurch based collaboration next year. Shared Lines Collective aim to make Shared Lines an international biennial event with feasibility reports being developed for exchange with Santiago, Chile in 2020 and a ‘10 years on’ project with Sendai, Japan in 2022.

The project has been supported by Creative New Zealand. Wellington City Council, Studio Pacific Architecture and Willis Bond and has been umbrellaed and supported by the Wellington Independent Arts Trust.