Eichardt’s becoming festival canvas
ONE of Queenstown’s historic buildings will become a giant canvas for Winter Festival next week.
Three handpicked artists will ‘‘paint’’ the facade of the 151yearold Eichardt’s building, in Marine Parade using an interactive projector.
New Zealand’s landscape artist Tim Wilson, whose work is held in collections all over the world, will be the first artist to put his imprint on the building, next Thursday night.
Then, on Friday, street artist Steen Jones, of Brisbane, will take over the projector to ‘‘paint’’ the building live.
The final night of the display will feature upandcoming Queenstown watercolour illustrator Karla Ruas.
Locals and visitors will also get their chance in the spotlight.
Line drawings of the building were distributed this week and will be available at festival info hubs across town as well as in sponsoring hotels.
Anyone can create their masterpiece on the drawings then hold it under the projector and have their images flashed on to Eichardt’s.
Destination Queenstown marketing manager Diana Mendes says the idea — a collaboration between DQ, local AV maestro Tom Lynch and the Queenstown Winter Festival — was to do something special to bring visitors and locals together.
‘‘It was really important, because we wanted to celebrate diversity — we really wanted three completely different artists,’’ Miss Mendes says.
‘‘The whole concept was to invite people to put their mark on this iconic Queenstown building.
‘‘It’s a way of, even for a few seconds, to claim Queenstown, to put your mark on it and make your impression.’’
Art contributed by locals can be photographed by the artist and shared on social media.
Queenstown people who feel they don’t want to display their artwork in public won’t be left out. A second projector is being set up in front of the new Eichardt’s building, redeveloped by Skyline.
People can step in front of a selfiestation, have their photo taken and the resulting image will be beamed on to the new building.
The interactive projections run from 6pm till 9pm next Thursday, Friday and Saturday.