Two major exhibitions coming to Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū celebrate art as storytelling, the first through relics and artworks from the gallery’s historical collection, the second through works by 24 contemporary artists whose personal and collective stories encourage us to reflect on social and cultural concerns.

Out of Time opens at the gallery on Saturday 23 September. Filled with tales of the unexpected, the exhibition includes an early Bronze Age Cycladic figurine more than 4000 years old and originating from the Greek islands. Among the most recent works is a Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock made in 1860 by Yoshitora Utagawa to commemorate a 12th-century hunting party.

Returning to display for the exhibition is The Physician by Gerrit Dou, accompanied by a rare pottery flask remarkably similar to the one in the painting.

Out of Time runs till 28 April 2024. It will be introduced by curator Ken Hall in a floor talk on opening day at 1pm. Entry is free.

Spring Time is Heart-break: Contemporary Art in Aotearoa will take over the entire ground floor of the gallery when it opens on Saturday 25 November. The artists involved work across a diverse range of media, including sound, textiles, photography, moving-image, sculpture and painting.

Curator Melanie Oliver says more than 20 projects have been commissioned for the exhibition. With about 50 works altogether, it will be the gallery’s biggest display of contemporary art to date.

An Ursula Bethell poem lends the exhibition its title, echoing seasonal changes in our lives.

Spring Time is Heart-break: Contemporary Art in Aotearoa runs till 28 April 2024. It will be launched with a free opening party on Friday 24 November at 7pm.

Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

Out of Time, Sat 23 Sep 2023 – Sun 28 Apr 2024

Spring Time is Heart-break: Contemporary Art in Aotearoa, Sat 25 Nov 2023 – Sun 28 April 2024