Twenty-two art works by Banksy will feature in the Paradox: Tauranga Street Art Festival this month, including his iconic ‘Pink Copper’ from Santa’s Ghetto, an exhibition that was held in Palestine in 2007 in collaboration with East London screen print publishers Pictures on Walls.

Other artwork also purchased from the Bethlehem exhibition will be featured in Tauranga, including ‘Soup’ by American born artist Swoon, ‘Who’s to Blame?’ by Banksy’s long-term assistant Paul Insect and ‘Sunglasses’ by Bast.

The announcement of the festival’s connection to the Middle East follows the recent unveiling of Banksy’s latest installation, The Walled Off Hotel, which is his first major piece of work since 2015.

A three-storey guest house, with nine private rooms as well as hostel-like accommodation, the hotel is located 4m from the Israeli security wall that wraps around Bethlehem. Built in complete secrecy during a 14-month period, The Walled Off Hotel is decorated with dozens of new politically-charged art works for which the street artist is famous.

Paradox artistic director George Shaw says having Banksy back in the headlines is not only good news for the world of street art, but also the festival, as it highlights just how valuable the Oi YOU! Collection is, given its close connection to the hotel.

“We hope the festival will attract people from around the country – and even the world – to Tauranga, and believe the chance to view a Banksy collection is a massive drawcard.”

The Oi YOU! Collection, comprised of 22 pieces of art, is the most extensive assembly of Banksy works in the Southern Hemisphere, and headlines the Tauranga festival alongside street art developed both inside Tauranga Art Gallery and out in the city streets.

Tauranga City Council’s General Manager: City Transformation Jaine Lovell-Gadd is looking forward to the community being able to enjoy the festival’s components.

“This high-profile event that has been created for the residents and visitors alike easily matches with events on an international stage,” says Ms Lovell-Gadd.

“Tauranga, a city of beautiful beaches and natural surroundings and one of New Zealand’s fastest growing cities will become the unexpected canvas for the kind of street art festival New Zealand has not seen so far.”

Tourism Bay of Plenty head of marketing Kath Low says the worldwide attention Banksy’s latest collection is generating just strengthens what is going to be an amazing event for Tauranga and the arts community.

She adds that the ability to secure such high-profile attractions is a ringing endorsement for both the city and the region, in terms of appeal and offerings.

“This is going to be a wonderful festival, as it is a chance for Tauranga to positon itself as a city with a rich arts scene. I firmly believe it will add to the Bay of Plenty’s diversity of attractions and help bolster the region’s appeal as a top location for visitors and locals alike.”

Paradox: Tauranga Street Art Festival is made possible thanks to Tauranga City Council, in partnership with Oi YOU! and the Tauranga Art Gallery.

It will include the Oi YOU! Collection, on display for the first time in the North Island, art work specially created for Tauranga by international and national artists, as well as an extensive festival programme including works of the city’s local artists, public wall paintings, food, music and dance.

WHEN
Mon 29 May to Fri 09 June

WHERE
Te Ara o Mauao building, Windermere Campus, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

The winners of the Paradox Youth Street Art Competition will see their works exhibited alongside works by Wongi, Lucy McLauchlan, Jacob Yikes and Milton Springsteen.

As part of the competition the winning pieces will be exhibited for the public to enjoy from 29 May to 9 June 2017 in Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology’s newly opened Te Ara o Mauao building at the Windermere Campus. This building houses the creative students and provides a great gallery space for the pieces.

The winning artist will also get the chance to reproduce their entry on one of Powerco’s substations. One of the substations has already been transformed into a piece of art by Wongi and we are looking forward to see another one being transformed by Tauranga’s next superstar street artist.

1st Official Tauranga Bomb Comp

Tauranga’s new tidal stairs and pier are the newest attraction of the city centre. We will celebrate this incredible feature on our waterfront with the 1st Official Tauranga Bomb Competition on Saturday, 6 May.

Registrations for the bomb comp are closed now.

Music and Entertainment

We’re excited to announce Ijebu Pleasure Club are heading to Tauranga to play at the waterfront. Ijebu Pleasure Club is an Auckland based Afro-beat band. They blend the Afrofunk style of Fela Kuti with hits from the 80’s.

Acoustic stomp remixer of the old and new Josh Pow Music has just been confirmed to perform at the waterfront. Josh started out on busking on the streets of Tauranga central and Mount Mainstreet, but quickly developed a good name for himself amongst the community.

And much more:

Street Food Trucks
Guided Wall Walks
Face painting
Paint your own tag or stencil your own triangle
Launch of the Hunt the Paradox Triangle Competition

1. Introduction

The festival was developed by Tauranga City Council in partnership with Oi YOU! And Tauranga Art Gallery. It was held from 28th March to 15th June and included some of the most extensive assemblies of Bansky works in the Southern Hemisphere. Apart from that, buildings across the city were added to the picture through the formation of giant artworks that featured New Zealand and international artists. Local artists and their work also acted as essential exhibits for the festival that managed to awaken the spirit of art.

2. Six Artists

The main highlight of the festival was the inclusion of six highly acclaimed international artists who created worlds within the festival. These long list of talented artists included Charles & Janine Williams, Ernest Zacharevic, Lucy McLauchlan, Sofles, Askew One and Jacob Yikes. As they were given a unique platform that was close to their interests, things went ahead to formulate a moment to be remembered forever. But things did not stop with these individuals because the festival made it a point to appreciate local art as they provided artists with a platform for exploration.

3. Intriguing and Modern

One of the most significant aspects of the festival was the outcome that people received after viewing the exhibits. Considering the lack of appreciation that goes on around for real art, Paradox was able to set things right. People who came forward to witness the same were able to understand art that stood to be intriguing and modern at the same time. Due to this particular combination, one can rightfully classify these works to be relevant and essential to this day. As a result, this modern gallery needs to come again and showcase things to the world.

Conclusion

Appreciating art festivals is a proper way of understanding the purpose and value of art. These festivals bring together individuals from across the world to help you understand the extent of their capabilities. So take some time off from reality and enter the world of creation, dreams and opportunities by moving ahead to sprinkle some art in your life.

1. Places of Accommodation

When it comes to accommodations and hotels, one needs to know that there are over 13 of them within a mile from Tauranga Art Gallery. Most of these hotels are well established in the industry as they cater to a bunch of needs and requirements of customers. A few of the top ones include Trinity Wharf Tauranga, Hotel on Devonport and Hotel Armitage and Conference Centre. All these three are luxurious and help to provide you with an innovative experience that stands with comfort and joy.

2. Exotic Beaches

Once you’re done appreciating art and want to do a bit of exploration in and around the place, then the first thing that you need to do is to visit a beach. Yes, that’s right. The different beaches located near the Western Bay of Plenty have managed to become an essential site for travellers as they come here to relax and forget about everything else. These places cover a good amount of coastal, rural and urban areas, giving you a special experience where you get to understand the people who live in these places. So make sure you fill your bag with a couple of extra clothes because these beaches should never be missed.

3. A Dose of Fresh Air

Apart from beaches, you can also visit several parks and receive some fresh air as these places help you get close to nature. Since the entire area welcomes tourists and travellers, you will never face any form of inconvenience that hinders the progress of your trip. With that in mind, proceed to discover Memorial Park, Fernland Spa, Mount Maunganui and other such spots that manoeuvre your mind to head in the right direction. So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and get ready to understand art, life and culture.

Conclusion

By following the steps mentioned above, you will be able to make the most of your trip to Tauranga Art Gallery. Your journey will be complete as it involves different elements that manage to keep people excited. Hence, think about the same and move ahead to visit Tauranga Art Gallery.

1. Politics and Art

Street art is an open forum for the public to talk about their views and display a form of communication. As a result, street art is now mixed with politics as artists want to communicate a thing or two with the government. This particular action has been visible across all countries as people come to the streets to protest against a specific policy or a move by the government. In this manner, they also go ahead to paint the walls and try to display a unique side of injustice.

2. Graffiti and Street Art are different

Things that are painted on a wall do not automatically qualify itself to be street art because there is a particular form of differentiation and understanding that goes into the same. The biggest example of the same is the difference between Graffiti and street art. While the former works only with spray paint, the latter goes ahead to include creative forms. Apart from that, the primary purpose behind creating both of them also differs, and the artists who perform the same do it for different reasons.

3. Europeans and Spray Paint

Europeans are known to have the upper hand with spray paint as their cans are flexible and can be used innovatively. Unlike the American paint, the European products do not start losing pressure by the time you get to the end process. As a result, European artists are flexible in their choices and can take the product in different directions. This is highly visible when you compare their art and try to figure out the variations and limitations.

4. Wheat Pastes

Wheat pastes tend to have a different meaning in street art because it refers to an adhesive made out of flour, water and glue in order to stick and seal a particular piece in the wall. Due to that, artists will be able to use the same and bring art to the public and help them analyse the importance of creation. The temporary or permanent art that they create will be remembered for the time, and everyone can acknowledge the same once they understand the purpose.

Playful bears

This is an art piece which was created by 140 ideas in Sofia, Bulgaria. The family of the playful bears are some of which that are scaling the wall. There is a huge tree trunk which can give it the illusion of being three dimensional, which is emerging from the wall.

Lone leaf

This is a beautiful masterpiece which is a simple street illusion created by Alexey Menshikov. This is a silhouette of a dead tree branch which is still alive, and there is a lone leaf sprouting on the top. This is one which allows people to see the branch as it mysteriously hovers in the air.

Peek a boo

This is a tribute to the artist Pasha P183 also known as Russian Banksy. This is a Lithuania based artist Ernest Zacharevic who created the peek-a-boo piece. It was located in the Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur which shows a man pulling the curtains through the greenery and looking into the street.

Fallen tree

The fallen tree is a subtle yet clever way to help create this graffiti tree which has a fallen overlook. This is the first painting which looks upright that requires the street art team, which is made and remade to look as if it was fallen. The white spray is painted on real trees which adds to the illusion.

Humongous hair

This is one of the epic painting which allows you to see the artistry of people painting where they involve the things around the place. This is one such example where we can see the tangled branches has become the hair of the art and makes it look like someone needs a comb.

Painted leaves

This might look simple, but the artist has played with the shadows of the piece and made it look like it is natural where you will have to look at it twice to understand. There is a silhouette of a man which seems to be painting leaves on a wall which can take away from the fact that it is painting the tree itself. This is created by the street artist Pejac who ensure that they have a clever piece on the streets of Spain. This piece was made to look even more alive as this painting was done near actual trees which makes it hard to differentiate.

Graffiti

One of the most popular street art is the one done on walls. It has a history which goes back to the ancient Egyptian and Greek period. Graffiti can be used to give out a message or just to make a plain wall look more attractive.

Sculptures

Sculptures are the 3D structures made by artists that are displayed on the streets. It includes processes such as carving, modelling and casting to make sculptures. Many sharp tools are used to carving different materials, including stones, wood, and bones. Mostly the sculptures are connected with political, religious, and historical belongings.

Poster art

Poster art is a type of 2D artistic drawing that is printed or drawn on papers. The artists use creative painting and calligraphic skills to create posters. These posters are attached to the walls or hanged vertically on different events for the viewers. Today poster art can be created using computer tools and then printed on papers.

3D wall graffiti

One of the most popular types of street art that attracts customers is the 3D wall graffitis. It gives the feel like the objects in the art are popping out of the wall. Artists take time and practice to master this skill before they go on the streets. Both kids and adults get fascinated by this art and which also makes 3D wall graffiti artists earn a lot more for their work.

Sticker street art

From the childhood hobby of sticking stickers to our hands and books, some of the artists have taken this concept to streets. They make eye-catching stickers of different sizes and post them out on the streets to the trees, lampposts, walls and benches. While some stickers can be removed easily, others are meant to stay for a long time.

Spray paint murals

Many artists like to draw paintings directly on the walls using spray paints. These are called murals and are usually the representation of the abstract ideas of the artists. It makes the walls look cooler, and some of the paintings may even look realistic.

Sideway chalk art

Many artists are talented enough to create realistic images on the sidewalks. You may see a real man standing across the street, but as you move closer, you will find that it is only an elongated piece of art drawn on the sidewalk. Fake potholes is the simplest example of sidewalk art.

Features of Graffiti

Grafitti is a part of the street culture but is considered illegal as it may affect the public property. It is usually word-based and is used to express different parts of the urban culture. It usually has a message that the artist wants to convey to society. Most of the graffiti artists risk their lives to express themselves through their art. If they are caught they can be charged for spoiling public property.

Graffiti is also a form of advertising and branding, which the artists use to leave their mark on the urban buildings. The artists like to stay anonymous and use pseudonyms to sign their art. It makes their work recognizable among their underground community.

It is also a temporary art form where the artists often write or draw over each other’s work. Most of the times, their work is erased by the authorities by painting the walls back to normal. Even though it does not get worldwide attention, the graffiti artists like to play with the rules and come out to paint the walls whenever they feel like.

Features of street art

Street art can be considered a universal space where graffiti is just a part. But as many people like to call it, street art is legal and is done by acknowledges artists. The artists sign their work, and the art remains the property of the street as long as it can. Street art is more focused on the images and designs which complement the urban area.

The artists are hired for street art by government and private authorities, and they work legally to create artistic designs to increase the value of a sidewalk, a wall, or anything else on the streets. The artists draw murals that may be used to celebrate something or to promote a campaign.

Street artists use more tools than graffiti artists as they have all the time to open and pack their inventories without anyone questioning them.

Banksy

Banksy has a legendary reputation for his work in the streets which gained more attention after his intriguing movie “Exit Through the Gift Shop”. His Better In Than Out Project surprised the NYC audience and made them frenzy for what he will make next.

Vhils

Alexandre Farto, aka Vhils, is an amazing Portuguese street artist who is believed to be born with his talent. He uses tools like a power drill, chisels, and different paints to scratch off the surfaces of building to make masterpieces. He was one of the 11 artists in 2011, who was invited by band U2 to make a music video for their album Films of Innocence.

Tavar Zawacki

Also known as Above, Tavar Zawacki is a street artist from Berlin where he started cranking his urban street art. He says he was deeply inspired by an incident when a homeless lady was begging for money near an ATM machine where people were taking out money. He saw it as a clash of the Rich and the Poor and did an inspirational work known as “stealing from the rich, and giving to the poor.”

Roa

Roa is one street artist that always remains on top of his game. His art is special as it adds different layers into a piece which gives the viewers multiple perspectives about nature and animals. All his work contains something about the animals that we discover artistically with an imaginary X-ray vision.

C215

Christian Guemy or C215 is a French street artist who loves to travel around the world beautifying the streets. He likes to paint local faces in his art and believes that what he draws reflects the personality of the city. He also continually draws portraits of his daughter Nina, who has evolved from a little girl to a woman.

Mentalgassi

Mentalgassi’s art is really different from the others as one cannot see it from anywhere. You will need to stand at a perfect angle to find his hidden arts in the streets. You will never be able to find his art in the streets until someone has told you that is on the side bards of metal fences. He uses this technique to bring attention to the social causes that he supports.