‘‘The Complete Entanglement of Everything’’, various artists
(Dunedin School of Art)
THIS exhibition is on for a very short period of time, so I encourage you to view it by the end of the week. It feels appropriate to begin this review with a sense of urgency, as ‘‘The Complete Entanglement of Everything’’ is an exhibition that confronts the unravelling of interconnected life cycles, synergistic relationships and complex ecosystems. The title is apt as we are all interconnected, and live entangled lives, all of which are becoming increasingly threatened. It is not possible to separate energy consumption from glacial melting — which triggers rising oceans — or plastic pollution from the death of birds and poisoning of fish, or deforestation and the wild animal trade from biodiversity destruction and the rise of pandemics, including Covid19. These are some of the many entangled themes this exploration engages with.
‘‘The Complete Entanglement of Everything’’ is ambitious in scope and scale with more than 50 artists contributing works across a range of media from painting to video, audio to weaving and more. It is also perhaps one of the largest concentrations of works by local artists as diverse as Marilynn Webb, James Robinson, Christine Keller, Charlotte Parallel and Madison Kelly. Artists’ responses to socioecological crisis encompass dystopic views and offer strategies for resilience. Curated by Bridie Lonie, Pam McKinlay and Marion Wassenaar, the curatorial framework emphasises the importance of Indigenous knowledge and kaitiakitanga (care of all living beings).