Curiosities of Status

What is it about human nature that makes us covet things, to collect them, to own them, to adorn and decorate. These symbols of privilege and status, once epitomised during the Gilded Age, now find new expressions in our contemporary culture. How were these concepts defined in the past and how do they resonate today?  

Social status in a home of the 1800’s was displayed through luxurious furnishings and the acquisition of the precious and rare. Today, despite a greater awareness of this interconnectedness, we continue to grapple with practices that exploit natural resources, reflecting a complex relationship with our environment. The luxuries of a home from this period are recreated in a contemporary sense using the ubiquitous materials available today. 
 
The need to acquire things and follow fashion trends has grown exponentially with the development of cheap production methods, allowing more and more people to accumulate more 'stuff.' Despite our understanding of overconsumption and its unsustainable impact on the world, we have lost some of the reverence for owning things. The modern ease of replacing items with the latest fashion or seasonal trend has diminished the value we place on individual possessions. Homewares and trinkets are so readily available and cheaply produced they are easily discarded and no longer passed with such care to future generations.  
This exhibition challenges us to think about what we consume, what we value and why. 

Artists kōrero
With Re:Use Collective 
Sat 7th Dec 2024 10:00AM - 12:00PM 
Free, all welcome 
 
Join us as we hear about the recent exhibition by artist collective Re:Use. Delving into themes of consumption and value placed on objects in society we will engage in conversation that unpacks different ways of thinking about these topics.