Running from 5 November 2022 to 29 January 2023, eight locally and internationally recognised artists will be debuting artworks around central Ōtautahi Christchurch, showcasing their responses to this year’s theme, Sweat Equity.

Managing Curator Jamie Hanton will bring his final selections for the overarching theme of Fictions for SCAPE Public Art 2020 – 2022. “Fictions aims to introduce elements of mystery and moments of revelation to the Ōtautahi cityscape,” explains Hanton.

In the language of the start-up business, Sweat Equity is “the increase in value, created as a direct result of hard work by the owner.” In the context of Fictions, Sweat Equity is a neoliberal fantasy, a pull yourself up by your own bootstraps fairytale about how we can all make it if we work hard enough. The season will include work that explores bodily agency and autonomy in late-capitalist society with a particular focus on the membrane between the digital and analogue worlds.

Watch this space as we reveal more about this year’s festival and get excited to experience world-class art in the heart of Central city.

Image caption: Jamie Hanton in conversation with artist Janet Lilo about her artwork Pen, on a SCAPE Art tour as part of Season 2021.