Although there will be no official NZ pavilion at this year's Venice Biennale, ARTSPACE has announced an independent project: Speculation.

The work of 30 NZ artists will be presented at the opening events in Venice in a book designed by Warren Olds, Studio Ahoy, and packaged in tote bags designed by a number of up-and-coming fashion houses. Although there will be no official NZ pavilion at this year's Venice Biennale, ARTSPACE has announced an independent project: Speculation.

The work of 30 NZ artists will be presented at the opening events in Venice in a book designed by Warren Olds, Studio Ahoy, and packaged in tote bags designed by a number of up-and-coming fashion houses.Eight curators, all currently working in New Zealand, selected the artists using the simple speculative question "Which New Zealand artists could now or in the future be sent to the Venice Biennale to exhibit in the New Zealand pavilion?"

Brian Butler, ARTSPACE director and organiser of this project, says: "We see the book as an exhibition in itself and the bags created by Little Brother, Workshop Denim and Native Agent as a portable pavilion."

In the book, each selected artist has submitted six pages of work representing their practice. To these, the curators have responded with insightful and authoritative essays.

The following artist were selected by Brian Butler (ARTSPACE), Danae Mossman (The Physics Room), Emma Bugden (Te Tuhi), Heather Galbraith (City Gallery Wellington), Justin Paton (Dunedin Public Art Gallery), Mercedes Vicente (Govett-Brewster Art Gallery), Natasha Conland (Auckland Art Gallery) and Tina Barton (Adam Art Gallery at Victoria University, Wellington):

The artists:

Andrew Barber
Andrew McLeod
Ani O'Neill
Bill Culbert
Bill Hammond
Billy Apple
Dane Mitchell
Daniel Malone
Eve Armstrong
Fiona Amundsen
Francis Upritchard
Jae Hoon Lee
Jim Speers
John Reynolds
Judy Darragh
Judy Millar
Julian Dashper
Maddie Leach
Michael Parekowhai
Mladen Bizumic
Peter Robinson
Rohan Weallans
Ronnie Van Hout
Saskia Leek
Sean Kerr
Simon Denny
Sriwhana Spong
Stella Brennan
Yuk King Tan
Yvonne Todd

2,500 copies of the book will be handed out at the Vernissage at key points of the Giardini. The book will be distributed in New Zealand in July with JRP | Ringier, Zurich distributing a further 2,000 books worldwide, including bookstores at the Art Basel, documenta 12 and sculpture projects munster 07.

Butler says, "This Venice project for 2007 and our commitment to establish a Venice Biennale Foundation of New Zealand will build a bridge towards future New Zealand presentations at the Venice Biennale in 2009."

5/6/07