Survey Hamilton reflects the city

Survey Hamilton researchers have explored new documentary practice and working on how to apply in Hamilton, New Zealand. Survey Hamilton is launched at Waikato museum for a month, 23 August to 23 November. This multimedia exhibition campaign has involved individual researchers from Wintec, Massey University and the University of Canterbury.

A different range of media technologies that encompass photography, interactive 360-degree video, gaming and sonic art are the main attraction of the exhibition.

It is assumed that Hamilton’s environmental attributes will be examined on the show.

Project leader Joe citizen, and David cook initiated the project after years of planning.

“David had this idea that may be Hamilton need to sort of start asking the questions as to what Hamilton is to itself.”  Joe has continued ‘Survey Hamilton’ to represent Hamilton and its environment. 

In the project contributing artists are not selected or chose but they are simply volunteered. According to Joe, researchers selects the best own material and offers for exhibition. “The way in which works were decided what would be in the exhibition, was each of the individual researches chose what they thought was the best selection of their own material, and then they offered that work for exhibition purposes,” he said. His inspiration for survey Hamilton project is his family. Moreover, he got inspiration from Joan of Arc, VJ sculpture, Alex Forbes and Meteor theatre.

 “I’m inspired by my partner, I’m inspired by the VJ Sculpture who operates out of England, I’m personally inspired by my friends from the Hamilton creative scenes, particularly Alex Forbes and the Meteor Theatre”, Citizen said.

Regarding Maori involvements in this project, he said:

“I think if there was to be a criticism of the overall exhibition; it would be that in the final result there was not enough Maori engagement.”

Clarifying the role of researchers he said:

 “I believe our role as researchers is to ask participants and audiences who encounter this exhibition, to ask for themselves, what is Hamilton? And what is their place in this place that we call Hamilton.”

All materials on exhibition are favourite for him. Although, he emphasised on some works and said:

“I really like the work that Rodrigo Hill and David Cook made with regards to the photographs that were taken outside Victoria Street in the early hours of the morning, in their sort of pop-up studio space, and they asked mainly drunk people to have their pictures taken.”

“Survey Hamilton” is the representative project for the Hamilton city; running in Waikato Museum.