September 2025 – Watch This Space

We Are Still Here – Pim van Duin @ The Art Hole

We Are Still Here is a simple concept — a figure dressed in a rudimentary sheet-slash-ghost costume photographed in locations around Ōtautahi. Yet in all its simplicity, Pim van Duin’s collection of striking black and white photographs is one my favourite exhibitions of 2025 — simultaneously charming, playful, evocative and haunting. Much like the ghost costume used in the project (also on display alongside the photographs and publication), We Are Still Here is layered. Surveying and inspecting the photographs, all shot in the existing lighting of the after-dark locations, it was hard not to be gripped with a sense of bittersweet whimsy, like looking at those creepy old Halloween photos, where the line between terrifying and cute is hard to locate. Stopping by The Art Hole, we spoke with Pim about We Are Still Here‘s origins, the process and the unexpected poignancy that a ghost costume can add to an environment…

Dark – Graffiti of Ōtautahi No. 1 – by Mitchell Bolstridge

With Ōtautahi ZineFest 2025 taking place at the end of August, it is a perfect time to shine a spotlight on a fresh zine that has recently captured our attention — Mitchell Bolstridge’s Dark – Graffiti of Ōtautahi, No. 1. That turn of phrase is fitting, as Dark itself is a zine that illuminates dark spaces around the city and the expressions found within them — the tags, throwies, pieces, and other additions that signify the allure of our city’s liminal zones. A beautiful production, with grainy film stock images, Dark is an exploration of the city, illuminating overlooked areas while also reflecting on the changing landscape and attitudes towards graffiti across the city. We caught up with Dark creator Mitchell Bolstridge for a chat about the inspiration for the zine, the process of capturing the images and what might come next…

Yarnarchy ’25 – An Interview with Kate Finnerty

Gap Filler’s Yarnarchy is a unique part of Ōtautahi’s urban creative scene — a festival dedicated to yarn-bombing and craftivism that celebrates both the power of urban intervention and the ability of urban craft to engage a diverse audience and community of artists — turning those with a passion for craft into street artists! Founded by Gap Filler’s Play Programme Coordinator Kate Finnerty, Yarnarchy is a vibrant activation and reconsideration of the city that is now into its fourth year. Growing and evolving over the last three festivals, 2025 is now in full swing, with an array of surprising artworks installed and a special collaboration with the amazing Jolt Dance — a local organisation that empowers people through the accessibility of dance. We chatted with Kate about Yarnarchy, the roots of the event, its evolution and why it is such a powerful experience…