Sonja van Kerkhoff

"nobody gets the weird ones but me ..." a fabulous song on feeling it is all wrong, too much ..., performed by US singer songwriter now New Zealand-based Maggie Cocco. Tight clipped brilliance. Listen here and like. /watch?v=ZmNCQB4V8gk Maggie says of this song "I was exhausted by the cruelty that people normalize in order to survive. The idea that exploitation is just “how the world works.” That to succeed, you must harden yourself against others. There’s anger in this, but underneath that there's grief — and beneath that, a desperate hope that maybe we do not have to become what hurt us. ... a song from my forthcoming Elodie songcycle" Sofar Sounds (Songs From A Room) is a global community built around intimate live performances in unusual spaces — living rooms, rooftops, breweries, hidden venues — where audiences gather not knowing who they’ll see until they arrive.

@ursulachristel_artist @onthewhenua @kaiparacoast The Matariki Media House - Te Pataka Ao Pāpāho Matariki upcycled wood, books, harakeke (flax), text by Ursula Christel, Cle Tukuitonga, Sen Mcglinn, Sonja van Kerkhoff @ursulachristel_artist @backonthewhenua #oldmediahouse #patakamatariki description / signage Last year's house of old media (prepared books) now sports some of the stars of Matariki on the roof. This star constellation has influenced how we have turned some of the books into art objects. The stars are: Wai-puna-a-rangi, Electra, star-pool, Ururangi, Merope, wind-weaver, Matariki, Alcyone, star-mother, Tupuārangi, Atlas, manna, Tupuānuku, Pleione, soil-born, Waitī, Maia, spring-born, Waitā, Taygeta, sea-born, Pōhutukawa, Sterope, the mourning-star, Hiwa-i-te-rangi, Calaeno, the wishing-star. The title in Māori points to media of the world or the now, under these stars. Open the doors and hold these book experiences in your hands. Share your photos! Reshelve the books inside this 'food' house for the next visitor. And works by 6. Te Rautini Sheridan, @te_rautini_artist 7. Laura Schiessel, @laura_schiessel 8,9. Jeff Thomson, jefftomson.co.nz 10. Stina Svensson @stinasvenssonartist

"Buckets of Spoil - Ma te rongo, ka mohio" Kerikeri Library through the windows till 13 April ?? OR NOT?? Folks go take a selfie with the yellow buckets while you can. Yesterday 3 people made a complaint to the library. Possibly one of the complainants had some sort of power. The librarian went to some effort to explain that the censorship here was not to do with the quality of the art, but that this was a FNDC funded building. So she insisted that all the signs with "Here lies" - even the ones that only referred to nature, had to go. This is interesting because it means whoever had some sort of power here, interpreted the "Here Lies" as something personal ... Ironically yesterday the @nzgreenparty proposed a bill allowing artists to be protected if they use irony passed its first reading. Here I am being censored for using metaphor to make a point about our environment. @brenda.liddiard the was the only reason given to me. So that's why all the posters above the yellow buckets had to be removed. I argued for keeping the ones that only referred to the trees or water but she said they all had to be removed. I don't think any of the library staff here were involved because of the way the team leader did her best to be professional. I suspect someone on council has had a hand here. This is a bigger issue. @chloe.swarbrick @huhana_lyndon @pita.tipene - the spoil you see was dumped into our trees and wetland in urban Kawakawa, and the FNDC continues to claim that they don't know if we are an affected party and the NRC decided we were not an affected party > see this 2 min video for an overview >> /watch?v=LrludkUpwA4 Time for a visit now @huhana_lyndon next time you are in Kawakawa - Every wetland matters even our small wetland. Thanks to all artists in support here photos of your works (with a full list of the artists) in the next post: @phildadsonic @bevgoodwinartist @ursulachristel_artist @astrid.moors @backonthewhenua @katarina.balunova @katarinarasicart @iansmoz @yellfreeman @carlostejoveloso.art @urbanjukejoint9 @danalamonda @jessyrahman1081 @angiolabonanni @anna.borrie @srohlfs @pietertjevansplunter @mekhlaharrison

Buckets of Spoil - Ma te rongo, ka mohio at Kerikeri Library. Tomorrow will make some adjustments to the wall works and then add the list of artists. On till 13 April. @creative.northland

We deinstalled our show close to Te whiringa o Manoko by Chris Booth kerikeri domain. #chrisboothsculptor #publicart #northland

1: Warwick Freeman was at @objectspace till 8 mar 2026 2: Camille Paloma Walton & Michelle Walton till 22nd March @public_record_ @camille_paloma_walton @michelle.walton.sculptor 3: Fiona Connor till 14 Mar @coastal_signs_ @fionaconnor 4-7: 'Uhila Nai till 20 Mar @ngutukaakaa uhila_nai 8-10: powerful videos by Luke Willis Thompson till 5pm today - 13 Mar @ngutukaakaa @lukewillisthompson

1-4: @public_record_ Camille Paloma Walton & Michelle Walton ‘In the Hills’ 5 - 22nd March @camille_paloma_walton @michelle.walton.sculptor 5: Julian Dashper Midwestern Unlike You and Me 30 Jan - 7 March 2026 /exhibition/julian-dashper-5/ 6-8. Fiona Connor, Blanket Games, closes this weekend, Sat 14 March. @coastal_signs_ 9.10: After the undercurrents Gordon Bennett, Emily Karaka 31 January – 11 April 2026 @artspace.aotearoa @aucklandartsfestival

PAWA and TINY join forces in a series of performative experiments in ELECTRIC BODIES. @performanceartweekaotearoa @tinyfestivalchch 6,7,8 March 2026 @audio.foundation Fr 6 March photos 1,2: Jazmine Rose-Phillips — a body and a body of water 3-7: photos: Cindy Yunha Jang & Sung Hwan Bobby Park — Toad Hole @janghuddle @hwanbobbypark

PAWA and TINY join forces in a series of performative experiments in ELECTRIC BODIES. 6,7,8 March 2026 @audio.foundation Fr 6 March photos 1,2,3: Ivan Lupi — UNTIMELY: Threshold @ivan.lupi.performance.artist 4-9: Sarah Elsworth & Anita Clark — VIOLIN MANTIS @sezmoves @motte_ettom @tinyfestivalchch @performanceartweekaotearoa #liveartauckland #performanceart #performanceartfestival

FUTURE DESIGNERS in the making @silo6 @mysilopark . Details in first comment. Curated by @cbd_ltd #aotearoainthemaking on till 8 march 2026. 10-6pm https://designersinstitute.nz/events/in-the-making-a-designer-led-exhibition