HAD US RUNNING WITH YOU | KATE NEWBY
Had us running with you (2023) is part of an intervention by Kate Newby (New Zealand, 1979) on a building in Auckland – a large interior space previously used as a hall by missionaries of the Methodist Church – which can be included in the context of urban art. This intervention does not radically alter or distort the building itself, but rather delicately transforms its appearance through a few simple elements, with the aim of drawing attention to what is normally overlooked or taken for granted.
Leaving the frames unchanged, the artist replaces the common transparent windowpanes with a total of ninety-nine colored glass panels, thereby highlighting and giving visibility to an element previously considered superfluous. Thus, the artwork Had us running with you takes form.
In addition to the amber color of the material, which comes in various shades of yellow and orange, what characterizes the panes designed by Newby is the multitude of apertures, holes of various sizes that allow air to pass from the inside to the outside of the building. What would normally be considered a defect is presented in this work as a precise choice: a passageway that allows for an exchange flow between the two environments, promoting contamination and sharing, not only of air but also, from a conceptual point of view, of thoughts and prayers.
If art is sometimes the direct expression of an intimate and personal confrontation of the artist with a particular technique and/or material, at other times it identifies as a joint act, the result of various forces and skills coming together to give life to the final artwork. Had us running with you falls into this latter category: indeed, for the practical realization of this project, Newby sought help not only from members of the local community but also from friends and relatives, structuring a true network of involved people.
Acting not only on the windows but also on other areas and elements of the structure, with her artistic intervention, Kate Newby transforms the entire building into an artwork.
Kate Newby
Had us running with you, 2023
Installation view, Michael Lett, Auckland, NZ, 2023. Photo by Sam Hartnett.
Kate Newby, Had us running with you, 2023.
Installation view, Michael Lett, Auckland, NZ, 2023. Photo by Sam Hartnett.
29/05/24