This event is part of the Aotearoa Festival of Architecture, by Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects.

When Kaikoura shook, photographer Andy Spain got Wellington's list of earthquake prone buildings and started photographing them. The idea of fixing time became appealing, as many of the buildings were demolished. When asked to exhibit them together however, Andy began to ask what these remnants meant.

He visited the petals saved from Athfield's church of First Church of Christ Scientist and saw their fragility. He talked to architects about remedial work which never saw the light of day.

What were the consequences of all these traces existing in a time when the fates of many Wellington buildings are so contested? Where heritage competes with social housing, which competes with sustainable reuse, and so on.

So, this exhibition is not about the photographs that have been taken, or the drawings drawn, or the artworks saved. It is about how we decide to use these remnants, and what stories we want them to tell.

PUBLIC TALK - A Rather Queer Cuba Street

Saturday 28 September, 1 - 2pm

Cuba Street has a long history of being home to a diversity of businesses and organisations related to Takatāpui Rainbow+ communities. From the Club Exotique strip club, to the Royal Oak hotel, to Jacquie Grant’s pet shop with the masturbans monkey. While most of these establishments don’t exist anymore, some of the buildings still do – echoing a very queer past. Join the team from PrideNZ for a virtual 1-hour walk up Cuba Street, stepping into sometimes imaginary doorways, to hear first-hand stories told with voices from the PrideNZ audio collection.

FACEBOOK EVENT


INSTAGRAM
Andy Spain @andyspain_photography
New Zealand Institute of Architects Wellington Branch @nzia_wellington
Athfield Architects @athfieldarchitects