Te Atamira highlights plastic pollution

International award-winning British photographer Mandy Barker will bring her SHELF-LIFE exhibition to Te Atamira over December and January. The exhibition will highlight the impact of the global reliance on plastic and the damage it causes to marine life, and has been brought here in partnership with the British Council and the British High Commission.
Mandy is an award-winning photographer who aims to raise awareness about plastic pollution in the world’s oceans. In 2019 a team of scientists discovered large amounts of plastic at the uninhabited and isolated Henderson Island. The island is part of the Pitcairn Islands and is a UNESCO World Heritage site – Mandy wanted to highlight the environmental threat. She photographed pieces of the debris, which was made up of at least 45 recognisable brands from 25 different countries.
“People can expect ten extraordinary photographs taken by Mandy Barker. She collected pieces of plastic debris and has constructed these beautiful photos. The viewer is provoked by what they see in front of them and you have this startling awareness that it’s not natures objects or fish, but it’s actually plastic. You have this quite emotional response to the beauty of the photographs but the objects in them being rubbish that’s found its way almost halfway around the world,” says Olivia Egerton, Director at Te Atamira.
The show came about when Natasha Beckman, Director of the British Council for New Zealand and the Pacific, reached out to Te Atamira when she heard it was under construction. What really caught the attention of Olivia and the team at Te Atamira is that the plastic all came from a UNESCO World Heritage site.
“In Queenstown we don’t often think of this but the Fiordland National Park, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is not that far away. That really rang for us, that from a local point of view there is this connection to the World Heritage sites but also the reality of the fact we live in this incredibly beautiful environment in Queenstown and often we don’t realise what’s happening not so far away.”
In addition to Mandy’s work, some local artists will also be involved. Shane Woolridge is a sculptor based in Arrowtown who will be doing an installation in the entrance of Te Atamira as a response to Mandy’s global work. He’s also collected some debris to create his work, a lot of which is inspired by the landscape and the materials he’s found. Andy Regan will also be constructing three sculptures out of different plastics. The sculptures will be seaweeds that will be attached to one another.
All the art on display will highlight the world’s waste issues and the thought is to challenge individuals to think about how we can tackle the issue and be more sustainable. “Some of these issues are related to international conversation and are very valid in lots of different places.”
SHELF-LIFE will be on display in WHAKAARI, Te Atamira from 30 November until 24 January 2023. For more information head to teatamira.nz