How Far Do Your Arms Reach?

“When the light faded, I went in search of myself.  
There were many paths, and many destinations” 

 – Derek Jarman, The Garden (1991)  

How Far Do Your Arms Reach?  is a collaborative performance between artist Tobias Allen and Footnote New Zealand Dance commissioned by City Gallery Wellington to mark the exhibition Derek Jarman: Delphinium Days. This one-night-only performance will take place in the vacant City Gallery building in Te Ngākau Civic Square.

Exploring the relationships between death, queerness, physical remembrance and historic loss through action, the performance examines Derek Jarman’s legacy in conversation with that of his Aotearoa contemporaries, particularly Douglas Wright (MNZM) (1956-2018) the renowned New Zealand dancer, writer, and choreographer.

Moving between the figures of Jarman and Wright, the art forms they used, the histories and politics they traverse, How Far Do Your Arms Reach? brings the spirit of the exhibition Delphinium Days to the heart of Pōneke – an awakening of the gallery though an invocation of those who have passed. 

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Derek Jarman: Delphinium Days marks thirty years since the artist passed away from an AIDS-related illness at the age of 52. This is the first Aotearoa New Zealand exhibition of his work. How Far Do Your Arms Reach?  is part of the expanded public programme staged across Wellington city and at the Dowse Art Museum, supported by the British Council New Zealand and the Pacific.  

Derek Jarman: Delphinium Days has been co-developed by Gus Fisher Gallery and City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi. It is co-curated by Lisa Beauchamp, Curator of Contemporary Art at Gus Fisher Gallery, Aaron Lister, Senior Curator (Toi) at City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi, and Michael Lett.  

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Tobias Allen (He/Him) is a New Zealand contemporary artist based in Glasgow, Scotland. Having completed his BFA (Hons) from Massey University in 2021, he is now pursuing an MFA at The Glasgow School of Art. 

Working in performance, video and sound, their work examines the broad and difficult relationships between grief, death, and queerness, with a focus on the deep-seated emotional states to be encountered therein.  

Recent works include Ashes and Action and To The Friend Who Did Not Save MY Life ENJOY Gallery (2023), My Skin in Open // RED RAW (2023); Mourn You in the Seen, City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi (2022); The Car Video (Tenofovir Blue) (2022); and The Corpse, the Voice, the Faggot and We, Performance Art Week, Wellington (2021). 

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Footnote New Zealand Dance is a trailblazing contemporary dance company, renowned for creating transformative artistic ventures that captivate and invigorate audiences.  

Serving as a platform for audacious artistic risks, Footnote fosters an environment where creativity thrives. Upholding a rich mosaic of dance artists from diverse backgrounds, Footnote stands as a pillar within the creative landscape of Aotearoa committed enriching Aotearoa and beyond by amplifying dance as an art form. 

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Derek Jarman: Delphinium Days is presented at The Dowse Art Museum in partnership with City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi.