Common Ground

Common Ground is a collaborative project between German design crew Via Grafik and Auckland street artists Cut Collective. Together they'll create a show incorporating wall paintings, graphics and sculptural installations—street art comes inside. Also featured in the exhibition is Board Art 08, a collection of 40 skate deck designs toured by CoCA with support from Gravis, Analog & Burton. Two ‘Hit the Wall’ sites will be used to expand the show through the gallery, with one site in use for a graphic art competition. The Goethe-Institut have also arranged for Alter Ego to screen in Wellington—this international graf art doco features artists from around the world, including NZ's own Askew.

On opening night Friday 13 February, both crews will lead the public through an explosive new artform—LASERTAG. Developed by Graffiti Research Lab (New York), this uses lasers instead of spraypaint to create live, legal, temporary tags on a huge scale. The audience is encouraged to join in, while enjoying the sounds of Imon Star and Olmecha Soundsystem live on stage, alongside NZ Beatbox Champ King Homeboy and Secret Level DJs and Empire Skate demos. Cheers to AVS and Red Bull for their support.

Events throughout the exhibition season include a skateboard-design workshop, Sunday Scratch sessions and a live public debate on graffiti as an artform chaired by artist/curator Jo Randerson. School-age kids and teenagers have the chance to transfrom a Lower Hutt wall into urban art with the Art4Change street mural workshop. Public programmes supported by Keep Hutt City Beautiful and Secret Level.

For Common Ground: Hutt Public Art Festival click here