Although more than $100,000 has been raised so far to help artists Brett Graham and Rachel Rakena and curator Alice Hutchison pull off their ambitious plans to stage an exhibition at the Venice Art Biennale, their funding target has not yet been reached.

"We have put everything into making this dream a reality and while we are immensely grateful to those who have supported us so far, we really need further support."Although more than $100,000 has been raised so far to help artists Brett Graham and Rachel Rakena and curator Alice Hutchison pull off their ambitious plans to stage an exhibition at the Venice Art Biennale, their funding target has not yet been reached.

"We have put everything into making this dream a reality and while we are immensely grateful to those who have supported us so far, we really need further support."The collaborative project was selected by Biennale Director Robert Storr from hundreds of submissions from around the world. The collateral events run alongside exhibitions in national pavilions and a major global exhibition curated by the director.

Aniwaniwa, a sculptural and video installation exploring the idea of submersion as a metaphor for cultural loss, examines themes highly pertinent to both the slowly sinking Italian city of Venice and atolls in the Pacific confronting rising sea levels. It tells the story of the Maori village Horohoro on the Waikato River which was flooded to create the Karapiro Dam. While it is a specific local story, it has broad global, cultural and environmental references.

Jonathan Mane-Wheoki, Director of Art and Visual Culture at Te Papa, who has written an essay for a publication to accompany the exhibition describes Aniwaniwa as "a visual and aural lament, a multi-layered entity that speaks of forced migration, of cultural loss, of memory and nostalgia". In his essay he also draws attention to the links between Maori and the people of Venice which date back to the Second World War.

Although New Zealand is not taking a national pavilion and formally participating at Venice this year (having committed to return in 2009), the selection of Aniwaniwa for the collateral events gives New Zealand a presence at this leading art world event. And the opportunity that represents, both for New Zealand and New Zealand artists, has been recognised by funders who given generously towards the realisation of the exhibition in Venice - a dream goal for many artists according to Graham and Rakena.

Nga Pae o te Maramatanga, the National Institute of Research Excellence for Maori Development and Advancement, Massey University and Te Wananga o Aotearoa, funded the development of the work which was originally shown in a smaller scale in 2006 at Te Manawa Museum in Palmerston North.

More recently significant grants have come from Te Puni Kokiri and Saatchi & Saatchi through world wide CEO Kevin Roberts who is a New Zealand citizen. In addition to contributing financially to the project, Saatchi & Saatchi is providing marketing assistance for the exhibition. Sponsorship has been secured in Italy from leading fashion house Byblos and from a winery. Some $40,000 has also been raised through public donations and the sale of digital prints from the video. Other corporate sponsorships are being sought and results of a funding application made to Creative New Zealand will be known this month.

Money raised so far covers the basics of registration for the event, venue rental and shipping of the massive sculptural structures to Italy. Additional funds are needed to meet costs involved in getting the artists and curator to Italy, the fees of the Italian curators who have helped realise the project in Venice, installation in the historic venue, the publication (currently in production), staffing of the venue for the four months of the Biennale and opening function costs. At least another $100,000 is needed to meet these costs.

The art work and the artists and curator arrive in Italy in mid May to install the exhibition and prepare for the opening.

New Zealanders are being urged to support this major exhibition opportunity which is considered the Olympics of the art world.

"We know our project is ambitious and audacious," the artists and curator say, "but it is also amazing. No artist could turn down an opportunity like this."

Digital stills from the video are being sold in editions of 50 for only $1250. All funds from the sale of these works will go to the ANIWANIWA to Venice project. Other images are available in editions of ten for $2200 each and these can be viewed at the Bartley + Company Art website.