Winner announced for National Contemporary Art Award

17 July 2015

A conceptual off-world colonisation project represented by a flag and a media release by artist Bronwyn Holloway-Smith has won the National Contemporary Art Award hosted by Waikato Museum.

Judge Aaron Kreisler chose Pioneer City flag as the ultimate winner from 325 entries submitted to the 2015 National Contemporary Art Award.

“There is sophistication to Bronwyn Holloway-Smith’s Pioneer City project that is both vital and compelling. Launching the flag at the National Contemporary Art Award today is savvy and timely as NASA’s New Horizons continues to chart the far reaches of our solar system and closer to home the national flag debate is starting to reach the pointy end of the process,” he said.

This is a conceptual work with many strings attached. There are ideas of settlement, of promotion and colonisation of a new place.”

Pioneer City flag is part of a larger online project dealing with the concept of colonisation on Mars. The entry joins 52 finalist’s works exhibited at Waikato Museum until Sunday 1 November 2015.

Waikato Museum Director Cherie Meecham says a record number of New Zealand-based artists entered the National Contemporary Art Award this year.

“Contemporary art loves attention and comes in many forms, and each year we see entries that push boundaries, invite us into the hearts and minds of the artists, and art that questions our thinking. For our entrants, winning is important but our 52 finalists also have the advantage of being exhibited in a high profile gallery space until 1 November with their works available for sale.”

The exhibition is open daily from Saturday 18 July until Sunday 1 November 2015. Several works can be found outside the gallery. Karl Bayly and Thomas Hinton’s entry is a kayak anchored on the Waikato River, directly behind Waikato Museum. A work by Shannon Novak is located on walls inside and outside the Museum. The artist intends visitors to see this as a musical score composed especially for this place.

The 2015 National Contemporary Art Award winner Bronwyn Holloway-Smith received S15,000 from the major sponsors, Chow:Hill and Tompkins Wake.

Find out more here.





For more information contact:

Louise Belay

Waikato Museum Partnerships and Communications Manager

07 838 6956

021 536 557

louise.belay@hcc.govt.nz