The Little Street Art Festival 2024 – A Recap of Aotearoa’s Most Unique Street Art Festival!

With the countdown now beginning for the 2025 Little Street Art Festival, we thought it was a perfect time to recap the 2024 incarnation of the little festival with a big heart! Staged in December 2024 (which in itself is hard to fathom in the midst of our grey, bleak winter), the 2024 Little Street Art Festival was the second staging of the event, and presented a new roster of artists and activations – bringing fresh ideas around urban creativity to Ōtautahi – expanding the discourse around how art can exist in our streets, a reminder that small can be impactful and artists need not be restricted solely to the 2D format of muralism. Avoiding a curatorial theme, the 2024 Little Street Art Festival embraced diversity of narratives and materials, opening up new possibilities for artists and exposing audiences to fresh uses of urban space.

Jay ‘Daken’ Skelton’s Blackbook 101 was a comic book exploring aspects of graffiti culture, individual pages strapped to lampposts along Manchester Street, inviting the public audience to follow the unfolding story as they traversed the city. Bright and colourful, with Daken’s signature funk, the book invited people to reconsider their understanding of the visual information that existed around them – recontextualising the graffiti tags, stickers, throw-ups and pieces found in close vicinity through the drop of some knowledge. While Daken’s comic book manifested as a unique physical object, Sofiya R’s turn the page took independent publishing in an array of directions. Based on Sofiya’s collection of photogrpahs documenting the changing the urban landscape of Ōtautahi, the artist created a limited edition series of hand finished zines (changing details of the city noted by the overlay of colour images over the black and white documentation), as well as an installation of the zine imagery across a Manchester Street bollard – subverting the idea of which came first – the zine or the installation. To add another twist, copies of the zine were then distributed covertly throughout the city for people to collect – in one swoop, turn the page incorporated publishing, promotion and distribution – all through a thoughtful, artistic view of the city.

Inside the picturesque Arts Centre, Smeagol Doesart’s Drips subverted expectations by suggesting a fluidity behind the visible, a secretion of form that de-stabilised the familiar environment through some unsettling presence. These melting drips, seemingly made of heavy concrete, were in fact, light weight constructions – made from cardboard and expanding foam and textured with paint and sand. Testament to the artist’s deft creative touch, the subtle dispersal throughout the Arts Centre ensured that people were left surprised and uncertain as to what they were seeing – exactly the response the most powerful street art elicits. Similarly surprising were Klaudia Bartos’ sculpted faces found along Worcester Boulevard – an expansive series titled I See You, faces appeared on surfaces and urban detritus; a spilled coffee cup, a brick, a crushed can, a metal plate embedded in the footpath. These works, drawing on the phenomenon of pareidolia, invited double-takes, forcing people to question if what they saw was real or a confusion. These small works did not last long, rewarding intrepid explorers who were quick to seek them out, before vanishing – adding to the question of perception.

The final artist of the 2024 roster was Razor Taser Laser, stencil artist and urban prankster, whose work spanned two distinct projects that overlapped with themes around our experience of the digital and real worlds. The Writing is on the Screen was a series of emoji paintings at various points across the city – creating phrases for the public to interpret, taking cues from the surrounding landscape (“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” next to Alice Cinemas, “It’s Getting Hot In Here, So Take Off All Your Clothes” in front of the Dance-O-Mat). The works, not only invited engagement, but also asked questions around how digital platforms are affecting our methods of communication – how do singular icons like emoji’s contrast with the collective power of phrasing words? Razor Taser Laser’s more lasting work, Golden Apple, Glistening Melon, found in Collett’s Lane, similarly explored the real world/digital world divide. Taking a still life painting found in the digital game Minecraft (itself based on a real oil painting), the artist created a real world painting, bringing the digital to life in a circular rotation, while retaining the process of digital imagery, painstakingly painting more than 3000 individual squares to render the image. In doing so, we are asked to think about how we increasingly see the world through the pixelated digital lens. For the audience, the language is visible and understood, but in different ways and depending on one’s perspective – much like the image, it makes sense in different ways and from different distances…

We had blast supporting the creation of these thoughtful, unique works for art by a group of super talented artists – and then introducing the public to the festival creations – from guided tours to workshops and a lively artist panel. We value the Little Street Art Festival’s ability to encourage new ways of exploring and experiencing the streets, asking people to look closer, to laugh at the absurd, to cherish the intimate moments, and to see possibility in the environment that surrounds us!

We have compiled a range of images from the 2024 Little Street Art Festival, captured by our friend Centuri Chan – a record of what our artists created, our interaction with their work, and as a reminder that this unique event will soon return!

Tune! A Creative Playlist with Klaudia Bartos

We are stoked to bring you the newest entry to our growing playlist! We reached out to 2024 Little Street Art Festival artist Klaudia Bartos to find out what music inspires her creativity and keeps her going in the studio. As the multi-talented artist explains, much like her wide-ranging approach to visual art, her musical tastes are also varied: “There are so many different genres of music I like that I could never pick a favourite- especially while making art!” So, what songs will Klaudia never skip and what might we find her listening to as she creates the paintings, prints, sculptures and everything in between that we have come to love? Read on to find out!

Tiesto – Adagio for Strings

This is a classic for me. I heard it a lot growing up, so it has a super super nostalgic vibe for me. Kinda sad but up beat- I love it!

Foreigner – Waiting for a Girl Like You

Just a guilty pleasure song – it’s moody and I love it…

Q Lazzarus – Goodbye Horses

I mean, what can I say? It’s a bloody banger…

Guns N’ Roses – This I Love

Mid painting and this comes on… It pushes me through to the end. I might even replay it, hahaha…

Nirvana – Where Did You Sleep Last Night

🖤🖤🖤🖤

Linkin Park – Breaking the Habit

I would have added a whole album of Linkin Park to this list if I could, but let’s just go with this one. RIP CHESTER 🖤

Phil Collins – A Groovy Kind of Love

My Mum used to listen to Phil Collins all the time when I was growing up and it stuck with me. I kinda just love sad sounding songs I guess!

Rainbow – Rainbow Eyes

Soft singing Dio, guitar, melancholy – lovely!!!!

Robert Miles – Children

This song always makes me think of Dad ❤️

Ayla – Ayla (Taucher Remix)

To be honest, I’ve gotta have a good mix of trance to keep me going…

Make sure to follow Klaudia’s work on Instagram

Tune! is an ever-growing list of the music that inspires Ōtautahi creatives – stay TUNEd for more entries here at Watch This Space!

And That Was… November 2022

November brought BIG news – almost 10 years after the landmark Rise exhibition, Canterbury Museum will stage SHIFT – an urban art takeover of the iconic institution and a final hurrah to the building before redevelopment. But, this exciting news isn’t all that made November memorable! From international rock stars to small street art, summer is shaping up to be exciting!

SHIFT – Urban Art Takeover @ Canterbury Museum

Perhaps the biggest news of November was the announcement of SHIFT – Urban Art Takeover – a massive artistic takeover of the Museum, with over 50 artists transforming 5 floors of the iconic cultural institution! A completely unique exhibition, this is sure to be an unprecedented event!

Dcypher @ Chiwahwah

A fresh new work appeared along the lively Terrace strip in the central city in November, with a striking Mexican-inspired anamorphic mural by local legend Dcypher on Chiwahwah Cantina’s exterior wall. The mural stretches along the wall and is best viewed from a specific vantage point – make sure you find it!

Ikarus goes small…

Dcypher’s DTR crewmate was also busy, but at a different scale, with a series of small urban diorama’s covertly placed around the city. The grimy settings like tiny stage sets that blend into the surrounding environment.

Archetypes @Fiksate

Archetypes, a collaborative show by Dr Suits and Jessie Rawcliffe ran through November at Fiksate Gallery. The alluring paintings combine Rawcliffe’s stunningly meticulous portraits with Dr Suits’ dynamic abstraction, the results forming a beautiful suite of works that illuminated new readings of each artist.

Klaudia Bartos @ TyanHAUS

Another exhibition that we loved in November was Klaudia Bartos’ Haus of Heads at TyanHAUS in Sydenham. The beguiling series of surreal, devilish visages, produced mediums ranging from watercolour to fabric, were haunting and intriguing, inviting closer inspection…

And a Bonus…

Normally And That Was… is capped at five entries, but I couldn’t leave the return of live gigs by international artists returning to Christchurch! I may have missed UK band Idles, but a week later I was able to witness an impressive performance by US alt legend Jack White, and, it is safe to say, I’m glad I did! There was a request for no videos, so the video below will make do to replicate the energetic opener Taking Me Back

They were out highlights from November 2022 – what were yours? Let us know in the comments!

Showtime!

The first Friday of November proved a popular night for exhibition openings with three shows celebrating openings at the same time! The sun was shining into the evening, making it a great chance to enjoy a social(ly distanced) occasion and, of course, the art of talented locals and a popular visitor from the capital. At Fiksate, Wellington artist Chimp returned to Christchurch for his new solo offering Social Woes, an investigation of the impact of social media on our contemporary existence, while over at 413 Local Gallery on Tuam Street, Daken presented Daken’s Emporium, a selection of his customised toys and comics (along with some special guest contributors), and at the Boxed Quarter, the talented team from everyone’s favourite art supplies store Gordon Harris hosted In the Hours After, a group show featuring multi-disciplinary work from Peter Pinckney, Carrie Dingwall, Klaudia Bartos, Bebe James, Olivia Isabel Smith, Louann Sidon, Theresa Waugh, Seonaid Burnie and Al Joice.

It was pretty tricky to make it around all three shows, and while some were impressively able to manage the logistical challenge, for many others, it was a case of picking one. So, for those of you who didn’t manage to get to all of these shows, this is for you!

Chimp – Social Woes @ Fiksate Gallery, Friday 5th November (until November 27th)

Fiksate was looking pretty spiffy to mark the opening of Social Woes…

While outside, the crowd enjoyed the sunshine in a makeshift outdoor area (Photo credit: Fiksate Gallery)

Chimp, the man of the hour, eventually got the chance to relax after a busy opening evening, here with his work Mental Weight (mixed media on board, 2021)…

Birds of a Feather (mixed media on board, 2021) highlighted some of the stylistic progressions in Chimp’s latest work…

As did Eyelash Wings (Acrylic, digital print and aerosol on panel, 2021)

Social Woes runs until November 27th at Fiksate, 54 Hawdon Street, Sydenham

Daken – Daken’s Emporium @ 413 Local Gallery, Friday 5th November (Until November 10th)

Over at 413 Local Gallery on Tuam Street, the space became an imaginarium of Daken’s playful custom toys… (Photo credit: Daken)

Including a replica of the artist’s workspace (Photo credit: Daken)

There were his Dak Bird cut outs and the Hands of Film series… (Photo credit: Daken)

And custom cereal boxes (packed with goodies), zines (A Dog’s Mind 2 – Electric Boogaloo!) and comics (note the powder-filled Scarface blister!) (Photo credit: Daken)

As well as a selection of prints – from fantastic creatures to the Emporium and even Toxic Mutant Joes Master Wars! (Photo credit: Daken)

In the Hours After featuring Klaudia Bartos, Seonaid Burnie, Carrie Dingwall, Bebe James, Al Joice, Peter Pinckney, Louann Sidon, Olivia Isabel Smith and Theresa Waugh @ the BOXed Quarter, Friday 5th November (Until November 10th)

An excited crowd gathered for In The Hours After… (Photo credit: Theresa Waugh)

(Photo credit: Klaudia Bartos)

(Photo credit: Theresa Waugh)

Featured artists Louann Sidon, Klaudia Bartos, Bebe James, Olivia Isabel Smith, Theresa Waugh and Seonaid Burnie got the chance to celebrate (Photo credit: Findlay Currie)

Olivia Isabel Smith’s mixed media works explore the arrangement, organisation and collection of objects… (Photo credit: Olivia Isabel Smith)

A selection of Seonaid Burnie’s evocative works from In the Hours After… (Photo credit: Seonaid Burnie)

Theresa Waugh’s textile works explore texture, form, pattern and colour (Photo credit: Theresa Waugh)

Bebe James’ beautifully presented jewellery pieces added to the show’s diversity… (Photo credit: Bebe James)

Klaudia Bartos’ haunting portrait works from In the Hours After (Photo credit: Klaudia Bartos)

Are you part of a show coming up? Email hello@watchthisspace.org.nz to let us know. Showtime will cover exhibitions and events from the local scene…