Talk | Curator insights: the fundamental practice

Join curator of the fundamental practice Natasha Conland for four free lunchtime talks exploring the ideas behind the exhibition. 

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  • Words by Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
  • Last updated 29 Sep 2026

Starting Thursday 15 October at 12:45pm, each 30-minute session offers a unique insight into the exhbition.

Each week, Natasha will focus on a different idea or part of the exhibition. The talks are a chance to discover new ways of looking at the work and ask questions about it.

The talks are free, but spaces are limited to 20 people, so we recommend booking ahead. You are welcome to keep exploring the exhibition after the event.


Where to meet

Meet in the level 2 foyer, where Natasha will greet the group before taking you into the exhibition. If you need help finding it, ask a Gallery assistant for directions.

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Location

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Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
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Local tip

He tīwhiri mō te rohe

Visit outside weekend and school-holiday mornings for a quieter experience, or head along during relaxed hours on most Tuesdays from 3pm to 5pm.

Getting there

Te huarahi ki reira

Auckland Art Gallery is on the corner of Kitchener and Wellesley Streets in the city centre. Te Waihorotiu Station is around a 5-minute walk away, while Waitematā Station and the ferry terminal are around a 15-minute walk. The OuterLink also stops nearby on Wellesley Street East. For more transport information, check out our Getting Around page.

More info

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About the exhibition

the fundamental practice

Presented in Aotearoa for the first time since its 2005 debut at the Venice Biennale, this multisensory installation combines five moving ‘autonomous systems’ with computer-generated voices and sounds in a dystopian orchestra. The work forms a layered exploration of belief systems, extremism and its influence on individual freedom and collective life. 

As they move, computer-animated voices emerge from the units, espousing a range of human beliefs. Each unit carries oblique signs and numbers, as if part of an otherwise coherent group activity, factory, institution or even a new religion. 

Acquired for the Gallery’s collection in 2008, the fundamental practice remains one of the most significant and debated works in recent New Zealand art history. 

About the curator

Natasha Conland

Natasha has 20 years' experience developing exhibitions of contemporary art. She writes for several contemporary arts journals and catalogues in the Asia Pacific region and co-edited Reading Room, a peer-reviewed journal of contemporary art published by the Gallery’s E H McCormick Research Library. Her curatorial projects include Louise Bourgeois: In Private View (2025–26), Aotearoa Contemporary (2024), Groundswell: Avant Garde Auckland: 1971–79 (2018), Shout Whisper Wail (2017) and Necessary Distraction: A Painting Show (2016). She has diverse interests which include art in public spaces and the dissemination of the historic avant-garde.

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Dates and Times
  • Thu 15 Oct 12:45pm - 1:15pm
  • Thu 22 Oct 12:45pm - 1:15pm
  • Thu 29 Oct 12:45pm - 1:15pm
  • Thu 05 Nov 12:45pm - 1:15pm