''Treasures of the Underworld'' was an exhibition featured in the

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

pavilion of

Seville Expo '92 The Seville Expo '92 was a universal exposition that took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992, on La Isla de La Cartuja (Charterhouse Island), Seville, Spain. The theme for the expo was "The Age of Discovery", celebrating the ...

The exhibition

The exhibition featured 48 works, comprising a total of 399 individual pieces. It was extremely successful with over half a million visitors to New Zealand's Pavilion, making it the most-visited exhibition of New Zealand art to that time. The exhibition was curated by the art curator James Mack and featured commissions completed by New Zealand's top practitioners of object art in glass and clay at that time. The artists who contributed works were: *

Len Castle Leonard Ramsay Castle (23 December 1924 – 29 September 2011) was a New Zealand Pottery, potter. Early life and family Born in Auckland on 23 December 1924, Castle was educated at Mount Albert Grammar School. He went on to study at Univer ...

Ann Robinson Ann Robinson (born May 25, 1929) is a former American actress and stunt horse rider, perhaps best known for her work in the science-fiction classic ''The War of the Worlds'' (1953) and in the 1954 film '' Dragnet'', in which she starred as a L ...

* Steve Fullmer * Ann Verdcourt * Darryl Robertson *

Christine Boswijk Christine Lynn Boswijk (née McDowell, born 1939) is a New Zealand ceramicist. Her works are held in institutions both in New Zealand and internationally including in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the Dowse Art Museum, the Chri ...

* Richard Parker *

Barry Brickell Ian Barry Brickell (26 October 1935 – 23 January 2016) was a New Zealand potter, writer, conservationist and founder of Driving Creek Railway. Biography Born in New Plymouth in 1935, Brickell was the son of Shirley Margaret Wooler and Mauric ...

Paerau Corneal Paerau Corneal (born 1961) is a New Zealand ceramicist of Tūwharetoa and Te Āti Haunui-a-Paparangi descent. Education Corneal holds a certificate in craft design (1988) and a diploma in craft design Māori (1991) from Waiariki Institute of ...

* Brian Gartside * Julia van Helden *

Christine Hellyar Christine Hellyar (born 1947) is a New Zealand artist who makes sculptures and installations. Education Hellyar was born in 1947 in New Plymouth. She completed a Diploma in Fine Arts (Hons) at the Elam School of Art in 1970. Work Working i ...

* Chester Nealie *

Robyn Stewart Robyn Stewart (born 10 April 1990 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a female track cyclist, representing Ireland and Northern Ireland at international competitions. She competed at the 2016 UEC European Track Championships in the 500m time trial ...

Exhibition theme

The theme of the commissions was the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's first voyage to America. This emphasis on voyage and discovery influenced the artists to explore the connections with New Zealand and the familiar world of the South Pacific. James Mack urged each artist to stretch both materials and technique beyond Eurocentric influences.

Influence

The interest the works generated came as a surprise. Ian Fraser the Commissioner at the NZ Expo said

We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the response....

The work produced for this exhibition has and continues to influence the development of object art in New Zealand. The success of the exhibition also boosted the profile of ceramic and glass artists in New Zealand. After a personal request from Queen Beatrice of Holland, the exhibition toured to Die Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam, Holland, before returning to New Zealand for a nationwide tour. After the tours were complete the artworks were accessioned into the permanent collection of the New Zealand National Art Gallery - now the

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. ''Te Papa Tongarewa'' translates literally to "container of treasures" or in full "container of treasured things and people that spring fr ...

References

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External links

Treasures of the Underworld artworks in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa TongarewaInterview with Barry Brickell
(part 1 of 2) for th
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project. Audio and video. Seville Expo '92 New Zealand art Art exhibitions in Spain Art exhibitions in New Zealand