An Expanding Subterra brings together for the first time a body of work that Barrar has been working on for the last seven years. This project provides a timely insight into a highly industrialised and commodified underground, where vast areas are taken up storing data and nuclear waste, multinational organisations operate 24/7 and teams of workers continue to prospect for rare materials.
This exhibition, organised by the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, brings together a number of Barrar’s recently completed portfolio of works focussed on the underground. Selected in close consultation with the artist, An Expanding Subterra is representative of Wayne Barrar’s concerns, challenging audiences to think about the politics of land use, place and the borders where nature and culture meet.
Image: Twin tunnels, Manapouri Underground Power Station, New Zealand 2005
Colour pigment print. Courtesy of the artist