Art on a shelf: 2019 in review

A conversation between editors about what made an impression in New Zealand visual arts in 2019. We unpack the highs and lows, and the exhibitions both naughty and nice. Warning: includes light interference from Elf on a Shelf.  After six months of The Spinoff Art, co-editors Megan Dunn and Mark Amery pause for pavlova and … Read more

The decade in art, from Quasi to the Turner Prize and beyond

We get a handle on the artists and artworks that shaped this decade in Aotearoa. As 2019 draws to a close, the four nominees for this year’s Turner Prize subverted the competition – they asked to receive the award as a collective. Meanwhile, at Art Basel Miami Beach, a banana taped to the wall sold … Read more

The art award that’s been annoying the Waikato (and Paul Henry) for 20 years

A bus stop, a soap dish, beer crates and a pile of rubbish: in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the National Contemporary Art award, we look at the media beat-ups, lessons learnt and collateral damage from the competition’s first two decades. Congratulations! Ayesha Green is the winner of the 2019 National Contemporary Art Award … Read more