The Spinoff’s top picks of events from around the motu.

In many ways it is a curse to be the person in the family who is supposed to know about art. When I go to art galleries with my mum, she will, without fail, ask me what an artwork means. It might be an abstract painting full of nice colours, a sandwich board sculpture or a poetic video work of bodies swimming through water. It used to bug me, since it is hard to articulate a clean and tidy answer, especially if you can only really guess. Sometimes the only thing you can say is it’s a painting about paint, which can come across as a tight-lipped, opaque answer.

Recently I’ve spotted myself doing essentially the same thing. Before spending time with an artwork, I will look for the information label and glean all possible fact and interpretation from it. I might even pick up the printed leaflet and hold it between me and the work. There’s a comfort in thinking that we can know and understand something, but it’s a little boring. There’s no room for new things to make their way into our brain.

This week I’m spotlighting a festival that I don’t quite understand. I’m going to one of the performances, and even though I’ve read the description three times I’m not sure what it is. I’ve decided that’s a good thing.

Festival: F.O.L.A

Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Avenue, Auckland Central
June 11-14
$0 – $35

Even the F.O.L.A festival’s website is a little perplexing. Strange symbols pop up and follow around your cursor, the event listings are on little piled up cards that you can move around the screen and the logo is barely readable (but very trendy). F.O.L.A is a festival for experimental live art – the event roster includes things like a free workshop on creating immersive psychedelic worlds with light and liquid, a walk in the rain accompanied by a soundtrack, an outdoor exhibition called Fleapit and a terrifying-looking performance called Glory Whole. There’s nudity, swearing and elements of chaos.

So why spotlight this strange, and maybe rude, thing? Well, its one of the only festivals in the country which is run by artists (Nisha Madhan, Julia Croft, Nahyeon Lee, and Hannah Moore) and I like that the events are so different to anything else. It really may be your one chance to carry a mysterious box around in the rain, watch artists reverse-mine copper or be guided on how to survive the necropolis.

Kerikeri

Music: Delaney Davidson Anniversary Tour

Turner Centre, 43 Cobham Rd, Kerikeri
7pm Saturday, June 12
$45

The singer-songwriter from Lyttelton is sure to bring a night of wry humour, some theatre of unease and bangers from his extensive back catalogue.

Doubtless Bay

Dance: The Belle Epoque Ball

Mangōnui Hall, 132 Waterfront Drive, Mangōnui, Doubtless Bay
6pm Saturday, June 14
$15 and a plate to share

There’s a free waltz mini-lesson at 6.30pm and a prize for the most glamorous dancer.

Whangārei

Misc: Train Day

Kiwi North Museum, 500 State Highway 14, Maunu, Whangārei
10am Sunday, June 15
$2.50 per ride

“Catch a ride on a steam train, rumble through the bush on a tram, jump on a jigger, whizz around the miniature train track, or enjoy a nostalgic hayride across the open paddocks.”

Tāmaki Makaurau

Design, art, books: Object Book Fair

Objectspace, 13 Rose Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland
11am Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 June
Free

There will be hundreds of beautiful and unusual books you won’t see anywhere else!

Music: 花溪 Flowerstream, Chelsea Prastiti (solo), Roger Manins & Michael Howell Duo

THE APARTMENT, 202 Karangahape Road, Auckland
7:30pm Thursday, June 12
$20 (profits donated toward relief aid in Gaza) 

Check out the city’s newest venue. Tonight it will be filled with psychedelic noise soundscapes and powerful acoustic songs.

Performance: Materiel World 

Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Avenue, Auckland Central
6:30pm Saturday, June 14
$30 – $40

As part of the F.O.L.A festival, artists will attempt to reverse-mine community e-waste for copper, preparing it to shoot back from whence it came. Bring along your old cables!

Hawke’s Bay

Music: Devilskin, Re-Evolution tour

Opera House, Toitoi, 109 Hastings Street South, Eastbourne Corner, Hastings
6:30pm Friday, June 13
$85.50

Devilskin have earned a reputation for bringing fierce energy and compelling presence to the stage, particularly amongst hard rock and metal fans.

New Plymouth

Raglan

Fundraiser: Beanies for Koha

Harbourview Hotel, 14 Bow Street, Raglan
10am Saturday, June 14
Free / Koha towards Raglan St John Ambulance for a beanie

If I was in town I’d run not walk to get the beanie with the biggest pompom.

Te Whanganui-a-Tara

Workshop: Mānawatia a Matariki with Ōtari Raranga Weavers

NZ Portrait Gallery, Shed 11, 60 Lady Elizabeth Lane, Wellington Waterfront
2pm Sunday, June 15
$15

Join a special Matariki raranga (weaving) session lead by Frank Topia (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Haua) and Linda Lee (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Huia, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāi Tākoto, Te Rarawa, Te Aupōri, Ngāpuhi).

Music: Birdparty at The Dowse with RadioActive

The Dowse, 45 Laings Road, Hutt Central, Lower Hutt
3:30pm Friday, June 13
Free, RSVP appreciated

As part of the spooky exhibition The Brood, Birdparty will play their dark body-moving music in the gallery.

Marlborough

Photography: Te Ara o Hine Rēhia, Melissa Banks

Marlborough Art Gallery, 15 High Street, Blenheim
10am – 4pm Tuesday – Friday, 1pm – 4pm weekends
Free

An exhibition of photographs that document four different kapa haka groups from Te Tauihu over six years.

Greymouth

Workshop: Kōwhaiwhai with Ruby

Left Bank Art Gallery, 1 Tainui Street, Greymouth 
10am Monday, June 16
Koha and kai to share
Registration essential

For more information, pop into the gallery or Whare Manaaki.

Ōtautahi

Music: Juno Is, Where To Begin album release party

Space Academy, 371 Saint Asaph Street, Christchurch Central
8pm Friday, June 13
$25 – $30

Join Juno Is and her live band to celebrate the release of her psychedelic dream pop album.

Ōtepoti

Jewellery, talk: The Journey to the Kingdom, Jane Dodd

Otago Museum, 419 Great King Street, Dunedin
12pm Tuesday, June 17
Free

Contemporary jeweller Jane Dodd will discuss her current exhibition, The Kingdom, which invites viewers to explore the intricate connections between species.