Installing a sense of intrigue - 04.05.05 - Courtesy of NZ Herald

by Andrew Clifford

With only a month to go, excitement is building among the team working on New Zealand's third appearance at the Venice Biennale. Elements of this year's project, et al's The Fundamental Practice, are already en route to Italy and this week the exhibition's first publication will be sent to key industry contacts around the world.

Installing a sense of intrigue

Image: Et al in Venice - The Fundamental Practice - We can't see it yet but it's going to be "like being right in an orchestra pit with that physical and aural overload." Natasha Conland - curator

Read on for The TV3 Nightline story
Installing a sense of intrigue - 04.05.05 - Courtesy of NZ Herald

by Andrew Clifford

With only a month to go, excitement is building among the team working on New Zealand's third appearance at the Venice Biennale. Elements of this year's project, et al's The Fundamental Practice, are already en route to Italy and this week the exhibition's first publication will be sent to key industry contacts around the world.

Installing a sense of intrigue

Image: Et al in Venice - The Fundamental Practice - We can't see it yet but it's going to be "like being right in an orchestra pit with that physical and aural overload." Natasha Conland - curator

Read on for The TV3 Nightline story
Courtesy of TV3 Nightline - 2005-05-04

PRESENTER (ALISTAIR WILKINSON): It's called the Olympics of the art world €” the Venice Biennale of International Art opens next month. Representing New Zealand is ambiguous artist et al. whose unusual and controversial work is sure to get us noticed although we can't show it yet. Natasha Utting explains.

REPORTER (NATASHA UTTING): This is the work of et al.'s. Et al. hit the headlines last July when it was announced the collective was New Zealand's pick for possibly the most important art event in the world, the Venice Biennale. Not everyone was convinced at the time but when et al. went on to win the prestigious Walters Prize a few months later, the choice was vindicated €” especially by Judge Robert Storr, considered one of the most influential men in the art world.

CHRIS SAINES (AUCKLAND CITY ART GALLERY DIRECTOR): ...and saying some extraordinarily important things about the work at that time. He certainly had no doubt whatsoever that the work would stand up well in Venice.

REPORTER: While you have to stand up and get noticed at Venice, ironically we can't show you what's going. We do know it will be multi-dimensional like much of et al.'s recent work €” otherwise, this is the only element we can show you.

GREG BURKE (NEW ZEALAND BIENNALE COMMISSIONER): The artist will not actually finally decide what components go where or what even the ultimate look of the installation is until you actually get to Venice.

REPORTER: The air of mystery is unsurprising. The artist behind et al. also creates work under other identities to avoid being typecast.

BURKE: If you give somebody's name, then you can tell so much about that person €” their... you know, whether they're male or female, whether they're old or young and so on and so forth €” and that leads to a certain amount of prejudging of the artist. Et al. wants to focus your attention back onto the work.

REPORTER: It shouldn't be hard to get that attention this year. New Zealand has secured a very central location for the pavilion €” vital when there are 72 other countries competing. One hundred and seventy thousand dollars has been raised to support the project and Creative New Zealand are contributing $500,000. Only a small portion of this, however, goes to the artist. There's the venue hire, managing the project and the costs of getting the work over there. As well as the exposure for the artist, Creative New Zealand say there are other benefits to mingling with the art world's top brass.

ELIZABETH KERR (CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND CEO): By seeing our work there, we hope their curiosity is piqued and they think: "what else is going on in New Zealand visual arts?"

REPORTER: Et al.'s work explores big ideas, like the way we develop belief systems €” fitting, perhaps, for something the scale of the Biennale. Natasha Utting, 3 News.

ENDS