The latest Spotlight work to illuminate the Gloucester Street side of Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is a warm, inviting scene created by local artist Iva Anjani. Further exploring the possibilities of the projected animation format, Anjani’s peaceful domestic scene was created by hand, stitching together up-cycled materials to compile the image. A painstaking process, the work is imbued with care and exudes a sense of serenity, a reminder of those places where we can find sanctuary. With the scene brought to subtle life through the wizardry of Immersive Reality’s Nick Keyse, Anjani’s work provides a soft contrast to the urban surrounding, a window of calm to contemplate. As Anjani’s first public artwork, we took the opportunity to talk to the artist about her experiences and reflections as her vision came to life…
Hi Iva – can you introduce yourself?
Hello! I’m Iva and I honestly never know how to answer these kinds of questions. I’m just a girl who picked up a new hobby during the lock-downs and ran with that. I’m Indonesian, I love spicy food, and I can’t swim.
What was your initial response to the Spotlight project and how it might work for your creative process?
I want to say, first of all, that I was really surprised when I was even approached to do this project because I’m not an artist by trade. So, I guess that means I didn’t already have a “creative process”. I looked at all the previous artists featured in the project and it got me shaking in my boots! Everyone featured were all such established Ōtautahi artists with distinct styles, and their Spotlight artwork were all thoughtful and clever. But I was determined to step up to the occasion. I’ve been sharing stuff I make online for as long as I can remember so I just approached this the same way. Except people on the street can see it and not a small number of people online curated by me and the algorithm… yikes!
Anyway, the Spotlight project is awesome because it’s so unique but it doesn’t get hindered by the style or medium of the artist. I didn’t have to do anything differently. I planned the design, check to make sure it would look nice when viewed from afar, and got straight to cutting and sewing.
As your first large public work, what challenges did the process throw up?
Everything was a bit challenging. It was technically very laborious. I sew clothes mainly and I’ve done small embroidery or applique projects, but this was bigger and ironically with tinier details. I’ve never done anything like it before. However, I think my biggest challenge was deciding what to show that was truly “me” and still be something the public can resonate with. Also getting it done in a timely manner while having a full-time hospo job… that was so hard, haha.
How did you find the collaborative aspect of the project and Nick’s work to animate your art?
I don’t think it could’ve gone any better. I had full faith in what Nick can do. I had suggestions on what to animate and my main concern was providing enough assets for him to aid in the animation. It’s not a dynamic scene so I thought it would’ve been a mission for him to animate, but damn he did well! The zoom in’s are brilliant – that’s all him!
Can you describe the scene you created – it feels at once very personal and yet very universal…
Sure! It’s a view through a window into someone’s kitchen – my kitchen if you wanna be specific. There’s curry on the stove. I’m frying an egg (I love crispy eggs with anything). There’s a bunch of dishes already in the sink because somehow that always happens, even when you’re cooking for one. It’s a starry night, the table’s set. The wind is blowing. If you look closely, you can try to glean what kind of person I am from what’s stuck on the fridge door: a kid’s drawing, an unpaid parking ticket, and a little polaroid of a four-legged friend. I guess what’s missing is just my rice cooker!
There is a lovely feeling that the work brings the domestic into the public realm, how do you hope people respond to the work?
Yeah, I really hope people can see some aspect of their home in the scene through the details I’ve included. Maybe it’s the curry. Or maybe you have pretty green curtains. I just want people who are in the city at night to look at it and remember that they can access the memory of their home anytime they like, and maybe find some comfort that it’s something they can return to. I’m fully aware this in itself is a luxury. If that’s the case, I hope they can feel some peace when they see the scene and take a moment for themselves.
The work was created from upcycled materials, how important is that approach in your practice?
Extremely! It was really essential that I only used second-hand materials when making this project. I managed to source everything I need from op shops (shoutout to Creative Junk) and stuff I already own. Even down to the thread. There’s already so much stuff on this Earth. I didn’t feel any need to buy anything new to create it. It also wouldn’t feel right making something that serves the public at the cost of the planet.
What were your thoughts the first time you saw the work live and illuminated?
Excited! Confused? How was it possible that I made that? I don’t know! I’ve never achieved anything of this scale. I guess, overall, at the risk of sounding simplistic, I was very happy.
Has this project inspired any new ideas that you want to explore?
Yes, it definitely has built up my interest in mixing different needlework techniques and fabric textures to make paintings, maybe even making it wearable. I feel like the possibilities are truly endless now!
There must be a few thank you’s to dish out – who do you want to give a high five?
Yes! Huge thanks to you and Nick for believing in what I can deliver. For Selina and Kophie for holding my damn hand in the beginning when I didn’t know how to start the project at all. And, of course, to my partner, Chase, for hyping me up on those nights where I felt like giving up. He’s my best friend and he inspires me every day.
You can see Iva’s work in person after dark at the intersection of Colombo Street and Gloucester Street.
Spotlight is made possible with support from the Christchurch City Council’s Place Partnership Fund, Rau Paenga, Phoenix PDP and Immersive Reality.