If you haven't had a shot of culture for a while and you don't want to spend a fortune then art galleries and museums are the way to go.In Auckland the city art gallery and museum are free to enter.
So if you have a rainy day to kill this is a way to spend it.
Where else are you going to find a life size white Elephant?
Or get up close and personal with a great white shark?
Or an ancient dinosaur?
Or something creepy from the deep?
The amount of work that goes into some of these displays and exhibitions is amazing and mostly unseen. Teams of curators spend days and weeks creating things that can really delight and educate.
Some exhibits make us aware of our past history-the good and the bad.This is a WW2 aviator uniform.
Like many countries New Zealand lost many people in the war. The whole top floor of the Auckland Museum is devoted to those lost in war. It is not part of the museum I enjoy but I go there just to remind me of the sacrifices made in the past for my generation by people just like ourselves. There but for the grace of God go I ..No-one wins in war.
Some of the most impactful modern architecture can be found at these two exhibition sites-In New Zealand native timber is used extensively in construction and design.NewvZealand native timbers are renowned for their strength and durability
As this shot shows a lot of the visitors are with young families. The Museum especially is kid friendly with many sections designed for interaction specially for kids.It is a way to get them out of the house,learning,engaging,and playing.Plus it's free!
The Auckland Art Gallery entrance.
The indigenous Maori people of New Zealand came via the Pacific around 1300. They are expert wood carvers and continue to make beautiful structures out of wood. Their carving and design are absolutely unique but share influences with the other peoples that inhabited the Pacific centuries ago.
A traditional Maori Meeting house. The carvings are absolutely stunning in their design and detail.
Detail of a panel inside the meeting house. Often these carvings represent ancestors or guardian spirits.
A modern wooden sculpture made of Kauri, one of our native hardwoods.
Museums give us a snapshot of human history. It is amazing to see how we have progressed and continue to do so exponentially thanks to technology.
From discovering fire..
To the CERN particle accelerator.
From religion...
To the ghetto blaster.
And everything in between!
Below are some random shots of things that were once the pinnacle of progress and design.In ten years the phone and laptop you own now will be a display for kids to shake their heads at.
A couple of art insallations.There are always new ones popping up at the art gallery.
And of course for all us photographers here are a couple of not so old gems! Film cameras! Which here are making a comeback here in N.Z. Polaroid anyone?
I hope you enjoyed this post. Nowadays museums and galleries are increasingly trying to become more user friendly and offer more interactive exhibits that appeal to a younger age group. They often have exhibits from overseas or other galleries or museums and some of these are really amazing, having been created to tour the world. They are no longer-well not in Auckland anyway-dusty old places full of old paintings and old things in dark rooms.
So one day if you haven't been to a gallery or museum for a while, check one out. You might be pleasantly surprised and even learn something!