Curator Talk - Corner Dairy

Join Assistant Curator James Hope as he discusses the upcoming object-based exhibition Corner Dairy.

Corner Dairy is a nucleus of Kiwiana, the proliferation of the New Zealand dairy developed out of necessity – during the depression of the 1930s, front rooms of houses were either built or converted to accommodate a small shop selling grocery items and confectionary. However, dairies sit in the unenviable position of both precariousness and necessity; they operate on very slim margins and their future may be uncertain. This exhibition utilises the New Zealand dairy as a cultural point of contact that represents ingenuity, economy of means, nostalgia and a sense of fun. It brings together works that depict everyday items, for example confectionary, fruit and Kiwiana – the kinds of things found at the dairy, or reference the dairy itself. It could be a paean or lament to the shifting status of the dairy in New Zealand culture.

This talk will be held at the Sarjeant's Object Gallery above the iSite.

Any enquiries please phone 3490506