Auckland
Art GuideWith a diverse population of over 1.6 million, Auckland offers a range of contemporary art galleries and institutions that cater to a broad range of communities.
Located downtown next to Albert Park is the city's premier institution, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, in a heritage building that opened in 1887. It boasts an impressive collection of more than 18,000 contemporary and historic works from local, national, and international artists, and is host to the biennial Walters Prize, the country's most significant contemporary art award.
Other major public art institutions like Te Tuhi in Pakuranga, Te Uru in Titirangi, Artspace Aotearoa on Karangahape Rd, and Objectspace in Ponsonby focus on innovative and experimental contemporary art and leading contemporary design and craft.
University galleries in the inner city include Gus Fisher Gallery (University of Auckland) and Te Wai Ngutu Kākā Gallery (AUT). Both host a range of national and international programmes with both students and established artists.
Auckland is home to dozens of commercial galleries that largely reside in the inner city and along the Karangahape Road art mile. On Putiki Street in Grey Lynn, Two Rooms presents a mix of photography, works on paper, sculpture, and painting from New Zealand and international artists.
On East Street is Michael Lett's converted historic bank space, complete with a walk-in safe turned into a basement gallery, mosaic floors, and ornate ceilings. Its roster includes leading New Zealand and international artists such as Martin Creed, Simon Denny, Dan Arps, Jim Allen, Kate Newby and Jacqueline Fraser.
Starkwhite on Karangahape Road is housed in a converted strip club with a spectacular staircase that connects a large downstairs space to a number of smaller galleries upstairs. Directors John McCormack and Dominic Feuch's line-up of largely Australian and New Zealand artists includes Billy Apple, Fiona Pardington, Gavin Hipkins, Grant Stevens, Alicia Frankovich, and historic figures Gordon Walters and Len Lye, among others.
Along Beach Road in central Auckland is Sumer, established in 2018 by Dan du Bern, originally in Tauranga. Sumer presents an intergenerational programme from a breadth of established and emerging artists from Aotearoa and abroad
What's on in Galleries
Auckland Galleries Featured on Ocula
Whether you want to discover contemporary art by established artists or emerging talents, below you will find some of the best galleries across Auckland's vibrant art scene presenting a range of both. Home-grown commercial galleries are distributed across the city centre, with many concentrated along the Karangahape Road (or 'K Road') art mile.
Starkwhite, established in 2003 as an organisation dedicated to supporting artists, represents New Zealand artists with international recognition such as Billy Apple, Fiona Pardington, Gordon Walters, and Martin Basher, among others.
Nearby, Michael Lett's two adjacent gallery spaces, a former bank and a recently renovated church hall, presents shows by established artists from Aotearoa New Zealand and abroad, including Martin Creed, Julian Dashper, Kate Newby, Séraphine Pick and Gavin Hipkins.
In the central suburb of Newton, Two Rooms was founded by former London gallerist Jenny Todd and presents guest curated shows featuring New Zealand and international artists. Between 2006 and 2015, the gallery's hallmark studio residency programme brought international visiting artists including Isaac Julien, Sarah Lucas, Kevin Appel, Fiona Hall and David Shrigley.
Along Beach Road in central Auckland is Sumer, established in 2018 by Dan du Bern, originally in Tauranga. Sumer presents an intergenerational programme from a breadth of established and emerging artists from Aotearoa and abroad, with a roster that includes Brook Andrew, Martyn Reynolds, Ella Sutherland, and Zina Swanson.
Featured Story
Auckland in Ocula Magazine
Since its launch in 2010, Ocula Magazine has interviewed some of Auckland's most significant artists including Max Gimblett, Seung Yul Oh, Simon Denny and Queer-arts collective FAFSWAG. Ocula Magazine has also published features of artists such as Reuben Patterson, Colin McCahon, Billy Apple, and Grace Wright.
Artists on Show in Auckland
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Artworks on Show in Auckland
Recent Art Fairs in Auckland
Publicly funded programmes such as the long-running Auckland Arts Festival bring the city alive with cultural events, special exhibitions, and public art commissions in autumn each year.
Beyond the bustle of the city centre, public sculpture showcases and sculpture trails, such as the biennial Sculpture on the Gulf on Waiheke Island, and Sculpture in the Gardens at Auckland's Botanical Gardens, provide an opportunity to experience contemporary art on a larger scale.
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