Celebrated New Zealand artist Heather Straka applies her distinctive theatrical imagination and seductive, lush photographic style to her new photographic series, Age of Discovery, presented by SCAPE Public Art. Her painter’s sensibility creates a scene that wouldn’t be out of place in an old 1930s film or mystery novel: an elegant and dramatic world inhabited by a cast of sophisticated strangers.

Taking over Sudima Auckland City from 16-20 November 2022, this immersive exhibition encompasses a site-specific exhibition, Straka’s NFT artworks presented by Glorious Digital, room activations and maybe even meeting some mysterious characters along the way.

“I have always been drawn to those encounters one has in the communal areas of a hotel, on a point between departure and destination,” says Straka. “As an artist these are the inspiration for much of my work. In these spaces we are brought together, out of our usual places to this transient one, where we cohabit if only for a fleeting moment. A hotel is a place of endless stories: the corridors and the rooms they connect to, all with their own intimate histories.”

Straka’s images give the striking impression of a richly costumed play or a series of elaborate, eerie film stills. Age of Discovery celebrates identity and ambiguity, while exploring themes of social concern and political subtext. Each character has a detailed backstory to guess at, but their secrets remain just out of reach.

This set was originally exhibited at Canterbury Museum in 2021, during which time Heather produced new photographs for the Age of Discovery series. These are now being exhibited for the first time as part of Age of Discovery at Sudima Auckland City.

Proudly supported by:

Sudima Hotels | Pegasus Bay | Plato Creative | Glorious | Go Media

Presented by:

SCAPE Public Art

Works are available unframed and additional sizes are available.