Image credit: Ursula Christel, ísos, 2017
Courtesy the artist and Mokopōpaki, Auckland
Photo: Arekahānara

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23 June — 7 August 2022
Boardroom

In this tableau, Warkworth based social practice artist and inclusion advocate Ursula Christel explores a number of astronomical connections. The artist’s first name is often associated with the Northern Hemisphere constellation Ursa Major or the great mother bear, who, in European myth, keeps vigilant watch over her vulnerable cub Ursa Minor, the baby bear. In the exhibition Right Ascension, Ursula references the essential "α" (lowercase α for Alpha) or primary coordinate required to set a telescope accurately and view objects in the night sky. She also proposes the possibility of a new, more equitable “space” – a realm where those with disabilities are elevated, respected and valued as stars in their own right.

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Biography

Ursula Christel is a proactive community-catalyst who connects dots, highlights discrepancies and focuses on inclusion. She has a passion for art, history, sustainability and conservation. Ursula Christel is represented by Mokopōpaki, Auckland. Mokopōpaki exhibition history: Chess (with Roman Mitch) (2020); HĀTEPE (2019); Mother Love: He Oha nā Te Whaea (2018); Korekore Whakapiri; Other Perspectives (2017).

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