Triple A at Splore : the Art, the Artist and the Audience.

Never mind the damp tent, the squashed bananas for breakfast or last night’s downpour. It was time to open the can of Splore-beans and taste test the art on offer.

Black and white face paint and a bow-tie to boot, he jumped out from behind a Pohutukawa tree to wave at the bemused on-lookers, “Welcome to the Fluxus Funhouse!” he called. Nearby a dressed-up Giraffe was peering through a Kaleidoscope. How normal.

You were given your triple A battery at the gate, as Art, the Artist and the Audience united to explore the park, like cheeky five year old kids. Bring it on.

Recharge, then rewind back to the slow-drive (or sweaty trudge) up to the camp-sites on day one, and you couldn’t miss the odd arrangement of old-school suitcases lined up on the hill-side. These suitcases were seen later marching up and down the beach on wooden poles. Bizarre. I loved it all.

Connecting the camp-ground to the main arena was the infamous goat track, breaking at least 5 people’s legs on the first night. Appropriately named In Transition, Tania Pomana’s LED-lit sculptures were delicately suspended from several trees, forcing one to stop and experience the interplay of art and nature. Stopping some a little too abruptly, it seems.

Installed near the sea, Raylene Beals and Mike Ainsworth’s Kaleidoscope delighted all as an interactive work. It encouraged people to throw themselves at it, and into to it to create a digital view of one’s self or ones fortune. A clever concept. You may have reminisced childhood memories of a favourite toy, marvellously described as ‘a surprise party for the eyes’.

Toying with the concept of childhood and the world of fantasies, Christian Nicholson had created a series of animated wooden life-size figures that represented the self, or perhaps ones imagination. Photo opportunity? Yes please. Oh, but it was the horse sculpture nearby that really sold it, and I’m sure it winked at me as I headed off to the lagoon for a swim.

One may have complained about the distance between stages and performances, yet the landscape was a perfect opportunity to showcase the colourful and somewhat mesmerising flags of Miranda Brown. It was a shame to hear that some were stolen towards the end of the festival.

The Splore philosophy of sustainability and participatory art was understood after experiencing the Portavillion. Auckland-based street artists Cut Collective collaborated with UK curator Emma Underhill to design a unique architectural structure for one to recline on from the festival buzz and summer heat. Built from reusable materials, the wooden framework was a canvas for a collection of retro themed works from the Cut Collective artists. Text-based works dotted the hill-side, one with a large clown mouth shouting out the words ‘Read My Lips’. Imagination at its best! It was great to see people enjoying the space, and the various programmes that used it throughout the weekend.

And then there was more. Tiffany Singh’s tree touched on the spirit and the Seven Hues of Harmony, Martin Horspool’s Splorebot 1 was a mechanical whirlwind of light and sound, and Ashley Turner utilised technology and QR codes to lead the way with Wayfinder.

Three days did not seem enough to run around the park and relish the abundance of art on offer. It truly was a mind-blowing celebration of art and the artist. Word of warning for the Splore 2014 audience, pack spare batteries – you’ll need them.

By Olivia Young

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