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27 • 06 • 22 / Arts & Culture / News / People / The Interview

Artist Cindy Huang is celebrating Matariki by giving away 240 hand-made ceramic veges.

The artist's installation, entitled Twin Cultivation, aims to build community by bringing strangers together through conversation and gift-giving.

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Artist Cindy Huang is celebrating Matariki by giving away 240 hand-made ceramic veges.

11 • 04 • 22 / Arts & Culture / News / Sustainability / The Good Citizen / The Interview

Miriama Grace Smith

Miriama Grace Smith (Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Toarangatira and Ngāti Porou) comes from a family of artists – her mother, Briar Grace Smith is a filmmaker, and her grandmother, Patricia Grace, is one of New Zealand’s most cherished authors and poets. We spoke to the Wellington-based artist about her work, including the illustrations she created for Britomart’s Greening the City project, which can be seen in the Atrium, the Pavilions and on the construction hoardings along Customs St East.

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Miriama Grace Smith

30 • 03 • 22 / Sustainability / The Good Citizen / The Interview

David Hall knows why trees matter

David Hall is a senior lecturer at AUT with deep interests in climate change policy and sustainable finance. Among many other things, he has a doctorate from the University of Oxford and is also one of the designers of Trees That Count planting initiative – so he’s got a good sense of the difference planting trees can make in addressing the challenges of climate change.

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David Hall knows why trees matter

12 • 10 • 21 / Sustainability / The Good Citizen / The Interview

Levi Brinsdon-Hall is feeding the city

On a disused building site among apartment buildings and busy roads just off Auckland’s Symonds Street, OMG (Organic Market Garden, established by For the Love of Bees) is producing more vegetables than was thought possible with their regenerative organic growing methods, and feeding 45 families weekly in the process. Ahead of their talk on October 27 as part of the first Auckland Climate Festival, OMG head farmer Levi Brinsdon-Hall tells Jeremy Hansen about what industrialised food production gets wrong, and how the OMG model could spread across the city. 

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Levi Brinsdon-Hall is feeding the city

03 • 10 • 21 / The Interview

Henrietta Harris

Henrietta Harris loved drawing as a kid, and went on to make a career as a painter. Now her delicate portraits sell in New Zealand and the United States, and are blown up big on Britomart’s Te Ara Tahuhu in an exhibition entitled ‘By Its Own Light’. Here, she talks to Jeremy Hansen about the intimacy of portraiture, her recent battle with nerve damage, and how she fights her own perfectionism.

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Henrietta Harris

24 • 02 • 21 / The Interview

The Interview: Michael Meredith

Michael Meredith is one of New Zealand's truly great chefs, a magician who first sets you at ease with the solicitous attention of the staff at his gently beautiful restaurant, then dazzles you with unexpected feats of flavour and texture. Mr Morris, which opened in the former Cafe Hanoi space at Britomart late last year, has already received a perfect score from Jesse Mulligan at Viva, and rave reviews from guests. Britomart's Melinda Williams caught up with Michael about how he creates his dishes, why giving back to the community through charity dinners is so important to him, and the special delivery that arrived in his home after Christmas. Click through for the interview.

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The Interview: Michael Meredith

01 • 12 • 20 / Arts & Culture / The Interview

Toi Tū Toi Ora: Lyonel Grant & Tim Gruchy

Lyonel Grant (Ngāti Pikia, Te Arawa) is often described as a carver, but his work is always pushing boundaries. For Toi Tū Toi Ora’s satellite exhibition at Britomart, he collaborated with artist Tim Gruchy, the creator of SCOUT, the 2012 work in Takutai Square that takes a range of environmental data and uses artificial intelligence paradigms to translate that into ever-changing images on a vertical LED screen. Together, they devised SCOUT: Wawata Hōhonu, a process that introduced images of Lyonel’s carvings as the foundations of SCOUT’s deep dreaming process. Here, Lyonel and Tim talk to Britomart’s Jeremy Hansen about their collaboration.

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Toi Tū Toi Ora: Lyonel Grant & Tim Gruchy

01 • 12 • 20 / Arts & Culture / The Interview

Toi Tū Toi Ora: Lonnie Hutchinson

Lonnie Hutchinson (Kai Tahu, Ngāti Kuri ki Kai Tahu, Samoan) uses intricate patterns in her artworks to tell stories of her ancestors. Here at Britomart, she references the Ngāi Tahu creation story, which features not only Papatūānuku, the earth, and Takaroa, the progenitor of the oceans, but a third protagonist, Rakinui. Hutchinson’s work at Britomart, Aroha ki te Ora (Lover of Life) is comprised of two sets of three panels, with one panel representing each of the three characters in the creation story. Here, she speaks to Jeremy Hansen about the inspiration of her whakapapa, and the pleasures of creating public art. 

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Toi Tū Toi Ora: Lonnie Hutchinson

01 • 12 • 20 / Arts & Culture / The Interview

Toi Tū Toi Ora: Charlotte Graham

 

Charlotte Graham (Pare Hauraki, Pare Waikato, Ngāti Tamoho, Te Akitai Waiohua, Ngāti Whanaunga, Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki) created a series of flags designed to bring the healing energies of Tangaroa (god of the sea) Tāwhiri-mātea (god of the winds) through Britomart’s nine blocks. Here, she speaks to Britomart’s Jeremy Hansen about her work, entitled Te Hau Whakaora (the healing winds). 

 

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Toi Tū Toi Ora: Charlotte Graham

11 • 11 • 20 / Arts & Culture / The Interview

Toi Tū Toi Ora: Shane Cotton

Shane Cotton (Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Hine, Te Uri Taniwha) is the creator of Maunga, a permanent artwork that now covers the western wall of Excelsior House. The basis of the artwork is a series of 25 works on paper created by Shane in response to Britomart’s commission. He and artist Ross Liew collaborated on the translation of those works into the five-storey-high artwork that now occupies the corner of Customs Street East and Commerce Street (Ross was assisted by Nicholas Boyd and Magarita Vovna). Here, Shane talks to Britomart’s Jeremy Hansen about the creation of Maunga, his use of the pot motif, and his participation in Toi Tū Toi Ora. 

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Toi Tū Toi Ora: Shane Cotton

05 • 11 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview: Maggie Marilyn

With the opening of her flagship store at Britomart, the wunderkind fashion designer Maggie Marilyn sets off on a bold new path.

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The Interview: Maggie Marilyn

29 • 10 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview: Steve Dunstan

The co-founder of Huffer talks to Britomart’s Melinda Williams about the brand’s new Huffer House space in The Hotel Britomart block, which comes at the end of a journey that felt like “a lap around the world and coming back home”. 

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The Interview: Steve Dunstan

16 • 09 • 20 / News / The Interview

The Interview: Kirstin Carlin

Auckland artist Kirstin’s vibrant floral works are brightening up the Britomart precinct this spring.

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The Interview: Kirstin Carlin

03 • 09 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview: Steve Carr

Artist Steve Carr was on a residency at McCahon House in Titirangi when New Zealand’s first COVID lockdown was announced. Now, as Auckland emerges from its second stint at Alert Level 3, he’s created a significant new sculpture that will occupy Takutai Square for the three months of spring. It refers to the possibilities of a post-COVID future, as well as some of his favourite artistic themes from his past. Here, he talks to Britomart’s Jeremy Hansen about the creation of the work and the themes it addresses.  

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The Interview: Steve Carr

01 • 09 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview: Krishna Botica

The co-founder of Cafe Hanoi reveals exciting menu and design details of the popular restaurant’s bigger, bolder new space on Galway St next to The Hotel Britomart.

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The Interview: Krishna Botica

30 • 07 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview: Kate Sylvester

One of New Zealand’s favourite fashion designers shares her passion for reviving New Zealand’s garment manufacturing industry to create a more sustainable future for local fashion. 

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The Interview: Kate Sylvester

09 • 07 • 20 / The Interview

Our 2020 Matariki Celebrations at Britomart

Warm hāngi lunches, rousing kapa haka performances, live music and community spirit kept the winter chill at bay as photographer Joe Hockley captured the celebrations in Takutai Square.

 

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Our 2020 Matariki Celebrations at Britomart

21 • 05 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview – Jane Wrightson

In February Jane Wrightson stepped into a new role as Retirement Commissioner. A month later, she was in lockdown, watching people panic about their retirement funds. 

 

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The Interview – Jane Wrightson

20 • 05 • 20 / The Interview

Amanda Bryan

As principal sustainability consultant for Jacobs New Zealand, Amanda Bryan has helped guide and evaluate Britomart’s journey towards achieving an impressive initial three Green Star Performance rating.

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Amanda Bryan

14 • 05 • 20 / The Interview

John Moffett

As the general manager of Generator, John Moffett presides over shared office spaces at two sites in Britomart, and two in Wynyard Quarter. They were operating at capacity before the lockdown. How is COVID-19 going to change the world of shared offices?

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John Moffett

06 • 05 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview – Lucien Law

Lucien Law is the founder of Savor Group, whose establishments include Ostro, Ebisu, Fukuko, Tommy’s Champagne Parlour and Seven at Britomart. He also owns Ponsonby’s Azabu, Parnell’s Non Solo Pizza, and started up a new food operation at the Auckland Fish Market last year. Here, he speaks to Britomart’s Jeremy Hansen about how his operations are adapting to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

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The Interview – Lucien Law

30 • 04 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview: Nick McCaw 

Nick McCaw co-founded Mexico, Better Burger, the basement cocktail saloon Caretaker and the nightspots AV and Saturdays. Previously he was behind some of the foundation spots in Britomart including The Britomart Country Club and 1885. After more than a month of lockdown, he ponders what reopening will be like, and what challenges lie ahead for the hospitality industry. 

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The Interview: Nick McCaw 

30 • 04 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview: Mark Sinclair

Britomart’s Sustainability Director Mark Sinclair has been focused on the measurement of the environmental performance of Britomart’s buildings for the precinct’s first rating under the Green Star Performance Tool. 

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The Interview: Mark Sinclair

25 • 04 • 20 / The Interview

Henry Oliver’s new zine

Less than a day after the closure of Metro magazine, which he’d edited for a year, Henry Oliver had an idea: to create Essential Services, a zine available free as a PDF download (and in print at Britomart) that’s given him and all its contributors the chance to keep doing what they love for a while longer. Here, he talks to Jeremy Hansen about the shock of Metro’s closure, and about the pleasures of creating something new.  

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Henry Oliver’s new zine

16 • 04 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview: Rachel Brown

The Covid-19 crisis is an opportunity that we mustn’t waste, says the founder of the Sustainable Business Network. "This is our 1-in-100 year opportunity to think about how we redesign the whole blimmin' system," she says. In this interview, she tells Melinda Williams how that might be done. 

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The Interview: Rachel Brown

09 • 04 • 20 / Arts & Culture / News / The Interview

Britomart: Unpeopled

Photographer Joe Hockley strolled the empty streets of Britomart and the central city and took these starkly beautiful images. 

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Britomart: Unpeopled

08 • 04 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview: Amber Coulter 

Amber Coulter and her partner Andrew Lewis set up Britomart-based TRA (The Research Agency) in 2007 in the midst of the GFC. Their job? To help their clients understand human behaviour so they can better focus their organisations. Here, Amber talks to Britomart’s Jeremy Hansen about how Covid-19 might change us – and why she’s still optimistic.  

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The Interview: Amber Coulter 

08 • 04 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview: Karen Walker

With several economic downturns already behind her, Karen Walker is preparing to take her fashion label through the biggest challenge it’s ever faced.

 

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The Interview: Karen Walker

02 • 04 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview: Murray Bevan

The founder of fashion PR agency Showroom 22 – which represents a number of Britomart-based fashion brands - talks about the impact of Covid-19 on the industry. 

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The Interview: Murray Bevan

02 • 04 • 20 / The Interview

The Interview: Cafe Hanoi’s Krishna Botica

Krishna Botica and her partner Tony McGeorge opened Britomart’s Cafe Hanoi just a year-and-a-half after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Now with Covid-19, they’re facing a crisis of a whole different magnitude. 

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The Interview: Cafe Hanoi’s Krishna Botica

30 • 01 • 20 / The Interview

In conversation: Trelise Cooper

Effervescent, energetic and outspoken, Dame Trelise Cooper has a love for the fun side of fashion that’s contagious. 

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In conversation: Trelise Cooper