Internationally renowned Turkish curator Fulya Erdemci joins New Zealand's Danae Mossman to form the curatorial partnership for Art & Industry's fifth SCAPE 2008 Biennial of Art in Public Space.

SCAPE is the largest producer of new contemporary artwork in New Zealand, and the only New Zealand biennial to focus on commissioning new works of art. Internationally renowned Turkish curator Fulya Erdemci joins New Zealand's Danae Mossman to form the curatorial partnership for Art & Industry's fifth SCAPE 2008 Biennial of Art in Public Space.

SCAPE is the largest producer of new contemporary artwork in New Zealand, and the only New Zealand biennial to focus on commissioning new works of art.Erdemci: an impressive background in art in public space

Fulya Erdemci brings a wealth of international experience to this position. As Director of the International İstanbul Biennial for seven years, as well as curator of Istanbul Pedestrian Exhibitions (Istanbul Yaya Sergileri) - the first exhibition designed for pedestrians in public space in Turkey - she also has an impressive background in art in public space.

Mossman one of NZ's most promising curators

Local curator Danae Mossman, whose presence at Christchurch project space The Physics Room has been hugely influential, comes to SCAPE as one of New Zealand's most promising curators. As well as two international curatorial residencies (Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne and DAAD, Berlin) Danae recently co-curated TRANS VERSA, (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo / Matucana 100 / Galeria Metropolitana) in Santiago, Chile.

SCAPE 2008 to open in September

Like the last biennial in 2006, SCAPE 2008 will be developed in conjunction with Christchurch's major cultural stakeholders and will be located within the Cultural Precinct.

The SCAPE 2008 Hub and Indoor Exhibition will once again feature at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, as major partner of SCAPE it will become an important venue for symposia, discussion and lectures.

As the 5th biennial and 10 year anniversary of the Art & Industry Biennial Trust SCAPE 2008 will open at the end of September, 2008 with a specific programme.

With site-specific interventions by artists from around the world, SCAPE 2008 will propose "a new culture of space" to reinvent the democracy, equality and "publicness" through the unique space, place and locality of Christchurch City.

As well as visiting artists, SCAPE will attract speakers, arts professionals and new audiences to Christchurch, stimulating and questioning the way we experience and enjoy the public space.

This unique curatorial pairing is supported through funding from Creative New Zealand, the Arts Council of New Zealand.

24/7/07

Image: Jeroen Jongeleen, Influenza/A Little Movement