‘bad ambassador’? Well, a good ambassador may well talk things up. Be a corporate representative. Toe the line.  But come and see what ‘bad ambassador’ does…a project by the collective et.al. at Surfdale’s Gallery Anomalous opening at 5 pm Saturday November 5. 

‘bad ambassador’ is a sampling of works by this unique, challenging and controversial group who have received this country’s highest accolades in the arts: winner of the Walters Prize, New Zealand’s version of the Tate’s Turner Prize, and New Zealand representative at the 2005 Venice Biennale.  They exhibited in Tivoli’s opening (2007) and 2017 shows in Oneroa’s Pendragon Mall. Defying many expectations of their practice – including some art world’s - and resisting all efforts to ‘pin down’ their work, the group have operated under various names, even providing an alias to front up at the Walters Prize event. They exhibit in New Zealand and overseas and work across various media, including sound, film, tabloids and fabricated objects.

Auckland’s Michael Lett Gallery represents them. The New York-based curator and judge of the Walters Prize, Robert Storr, said he chose et al. ‘because it puzzles me the most.’ So drop by – and be puzzled – at Gallery Anomalous anytime daily between 10 and 3 until Sunday November 27. The artist will be in conversation in the gallery on Saturday November 12 and Saturday November 19 at 5 pm, for discussion of their practice and (on 19th) around issues raised by the screening of their new film ‘dora’s lunch (sometime later)’. Free take-away tabloids.