October 3rd -November 1st
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Pumanawa Gallery, The Art Centre
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October 3rd -November 1st ⚉ Pumanawa Gallery, The Art Centre ⚈
PRESENCE REQUIRED
Presence Required is an interactive art experience exploring the value of attention in a distracted world.
We live in an era where algorithms compete for our focus in tiny, constant bites. Our time is no longer ours. We skim past breathtaking works in seconds, adapt creativity to fit a feed, and call three seconds of viewing a success.
This exhibition pushes back.
Each painting is hidden within a sculptural frame that slowly reveals the work after a set time spent in its presence. The durations — 30 seconds, 2 minutes, and 10 minutes — are intentionally uncomfortable for the pace we’ve learned to live by. There is no soundtrack, no phone, no post — only the art, the viewer, and the experience they create together.
Presence Required is also a reflection of the artist’s experience with ADHD, acknowledging that focus and stillness affect us differently. It invites every visitor to confront how they give their time and what that act truly means.
Here, art doesn’t ask for your likes.
It asks for you.
“In an age of constant scrolling and shrinking focus, this exhibition asks you to slow down.”
no phones. no posts. no previews.
Just you, the art, and the time you’re willing to give it. Because what we give our attention to shapes who we are.
“An interactive art experience exploring the value of attention in a distracted world.”
October 3rd - November 1st
Pumanawa Gallery
The Art Centre, CHRISTCHURCH
Monday - Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday - Saturday 10am - 8pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm