Silvana_777 & Raysia_101 by Yvonne Todd, 2025. Archival giclée prints on Ilford Galerie Prestige Gold Fibre Gloss 310gsm paper, 700 x 527 mm.

Inside and upstairs in the ornate Berry & Co Photographers building at 147 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington, a series of 10 images is on display, each slightly smaller than an A1 poster and set in a neat black frame. Women, or angels, stare out of the images, all in white, winged, and expressionless. It’s unmistakable that they’re by Yvonne Todd, an artist who’s made her name here and overseas with unsettling, visibly constructed photographic portraits, but they also mark a significant turning point. There are a few clues – each has a watermark with malformed letters, an otherworldly sheen, and titles with underscores and numbers – that reveal their AI construction. 

Until about a year ago, Yvonne Todd was a photography purist who shot only on large format film cameras. Then she returned to study, after many years, at Whitecliffe, and gained an MFA at the end of last year. It was here that she began to dip her toes in AI. Her MFA show, Autoclave, featured AI images from a series called Whisperers – strange dirty mannequins poised as housewives in gingham. About that show she wrote, “The objects and images are husks, replicas and stage sets that lurch from one mise en scène to another, exploiting the trippy halos of artifice.”

The text accompanying the new exhibition at McLeavey Gallery states that Todd has developed a “strange and singular passion” for using AI. Her staging of photographs for 30 or so years now informs the detailed and nuanced prompts she feeds into the image generators and allows her to build on visual language and tropes she has investigated throughout her career. On RNZ’s Culture 101, she told Mark Amery “AI makes images that I can't make without considerable resources. So that, for me, is the appeal.” For an artist who has always constructed scenes and characters, “AI is almost like having a piece of plasticine. There's something really plastic, mouldable, flexible, kneadable about it, which is what I like."

But this week has shown that as much as artists can use AI, AI uses artists. Catherine Chidgey, one of our top and most prolific authors, has been included in a global payout after an AI chatbot was trained on millions of pirated books. In a class action lawsuit in California, Anthropic AI has agreed to pay out up to US$1.5 billion (NZ$2.6b) to settle claims it used millions of pirated books to train its large language models. But take note of the details here – the payout is not for the use of intellectual property, but rather the way it was accessed through illegal websites. The court did not rule that training AI models can’t use the material under copyright law. RNZ AI commentator Peter Griffin said “this boils down to basically a fine for using dodgy websites” and that the size of the fine is “a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket” for a company of that size.

Catherine Chidgey said she has been offered US$3,000 (NZ$5,240) for each of her three titles,  Remote Sympathy, The Wish Child and The Transformation, accessed by the company. “It's not really enough,” she told RNZ, “if you think about the years of effort I've put into writing those books – but I'm glad that there has been a line drawn in the sand.” Still, thousands of authors, including NZ authors, of the books accessed will be getting nothing at all. The settlement in the US courts decreed that only books registered with the US copyright office were eligible – and only a fraction were. Now the New Zealand Society of Authors is encouraging members to ensure their books are registered through the US copyright office, in expectation of more similar lawsuits.

Todd’s angels are a homage and eulogy on the transformation and the demise of her traditional medium, photography. The artificial composites are the final artifice in her unsettling constructions. It’s tempting when looking at the beautiful figures to think only of the uses of AI, of AI as a tool for creativity. But in truth, it's a destructive parasite too, feeding from and replacing human work. 

💥News on the wire

🌹Jen Lal, lighting designer and “supreme rascal”, dies.

Jen Lal (Jennifer Roshni Lal) died on 28 November. Tributes are flowing from many who worked with her in theatre, and one is underway to be published on The Big Idea soon. Auckland Theatre Company’s statement called her a “darling, sweetheart, supreme rascal, dear friend, and lighting designer extraordinaire” and said “You gave your heart and soul to making great work.”

Ōtautahi artist collective fundraising for Palestine

For next Saturday, 13 December, Ōtautahi 4 Palestine, a collective of artists, educators and advocates, have organised a fundraising evening for families in Gaza. There will be music, poetry, performance, art, kōrero and dance at A Rolling Stone, 579 Colombo Street. Tickets are $25, but if you can’t go you can still support through a donation or raffle ticket.

Jimmy D, edgy androgynous NZ label, is closing

James Dobson announced the closure of the main fashion line of his more-than-20-year-old label this morning. “We hate to follow a trend, but here we are,” reads the post. While they will be moving out of their workroom and stop producing full collections, the online store will continue being stocked with tees, caps, socks and other additions – something manageable from a home office. Dobson notes that “this year has been the hardest by far,” saying that he lost his dad, feels constant self doubt, anxiety, and the financial stress of shrinking margins (Jimmy D is one of very few labels making their garments in Aotearoa). There will be a huge sale next week Friday 12 December – Sunday 14 December, and until February they will be open for special orders (there’s a good stash of fabrics). “Buy local! Use fashion to show the world who you are! Be fearless!”

Silo Theatre announces 2026 programme – Life, Turned all the way up

For the first season under Artistic Director Sophie Henderson, Silo Theatre is presenting five plays, each completely different from the others. “This season is about the space between people,” says Henderson, “the magic between actors and audiences, and between the artists making the work. That tiny live charge you only get when you’re all in the room together. That’s the feeling I’m chasing”. Up first is A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller, a tragedy asking how far we’ll go for love and what happens when we can’t let go. It will be directed by Anapela Polata’ivao. Next up in May is Playfight by Julia Grogan, a portrait of girlhood that will travel to schools after a season in Silo’s new hall on East Street. Constellations by Nick Payne and directed by Nī Dekkers-Reihana is set under the Matariki stars and adapted through a te ao Māori lens. In September Job by Max Wolf Friedlich and directed by Shane Bosher will keep  audiences tense and guessing at every turn. And finally, Marathon by Nic Sampson, a new commission by Silo, will be directed by Sophie Roberts and run this time next year.

Anders Falstie-Jensen wins Bruce Mason Playwriting Award

Hailing from Denmark, Anders Falstie-Jensen has won the $10,000 cash prize. Anders co-founded The Rebel Alliance and his plays include The Rehearsal, The Bomb, Standstill, Watching Paint Dry, Centrepoint, Let Me Tell You About Auckland and Back to Square One?

His work is known for surprises, formal experiments, and shifts between the absurd and the profound. “I would love to, with any play that I do, give audiences a new or different perspective on either themselves or their place in the world,” Anders says. 

Ed Ritchie inaugural recipient of the Iris Fisher Artist Studio Residency

Iris Fisher was a champion of contemporary art and a pivotal figure in shaping East Auckland’s creative landscape – she founded the Pakuranga Arts Society in 1969 and helped lay the groundwork for Te Tuhi gallery. The Iris Fisher Art Awards were founded in 1981, then the annual Iris Fisher Art Award (1984–2005), the Iris Fisher Scholarship (2007–2024) and now the Iris Fisher Artist Studio Residency.

Ōtepoti-based artist Ed Ritchie has an installation-based practice which examines the invisible infrastructures that operate around us. He will spend three months at the Papatūnga Artist Studio at Te Tuhi, where he will have the opportunity to experiment, explore and develop new work, receive mentorship and curatorial support from Te Tuhi’s team, as well as a $15,000 stipend. “Dedicated and supported studio time is such a rare gift to be given and I can’t wait to spend it in Tāmaki Makaurau, hopefully building some relationships while I’m there,” he says.

Springboard nominations closing tomorrow

Nominations for the 2026 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Springboard Awards close tomorrow, so if you know an early-career artist of any discipline who could make use of $15,000 cash and a year-long mentorship with an Arts Foundation alumni, now's the time to fill out the online form. 

Ana Iti wins $100,000 and New York residency

In more Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi news, Ana Iti (who won the Walters Prize in 2024) has won the Harriet Friedlander Residency. The residency is awarded every two years and enables an artist to live and create in New York with a $100,000 grant. “This opportunity has arrived at a really important time for me,” says Iti. “I'm trying to grow my practice and think about what it looks like in different contexts away from home. Some of the most seminal sculptural practices to me as a student and young artist came from New York and I am grateful that I will be able to see them in the flesh and think about what they mean to me now. I am excited to see the scale of work and ambition there!”

The end of year parties have begun

Aucklanders will be happy the East Street Block Party is free and on this Saturday in the car park at 8 East Street. It’s an all-star hosting by Artspace Aotearoa, Tautai, Silo Theatre, Michael Lett Gallery, and Coastal Signs. Expect Karma Drinks, Everyday Wine, BBQ and DJ sets by  ajhoneysuckle and IBSxc.

🌹Costa Botes, documentarian and filmmaker, dies

Costa Botes, who found fame in 1985 with mockumentary Forgotten Silver alongside Peter Jackson, died on 21 November after living with cancer for nearly a decade. He was born in Greece and raised in Wellington, and discovered filmmaking early, training at Ilam before starting his career in the mid-80s. Botes went on to create a series of quietly compelling documentaries, including When the Cows Come Home, The Last Dogs of Winter, Angie, and Act of Kindness. We can look forward to one more film, shortly before his death, Botes completed the first cut of a new film that is expected to be released next year. 

Artspace Aotearoa announces next year’s question

Since Ruth Buchanan became the director of Artspace Aotearoa in 2022, each year's programme has been informed by an annual question. There’s been: Where does my body belong?; Is language large enough?; Do I need territory? In 2026 she is asking, which history? Buchanan has written more about the context of the question here.

The question of the year comes with a full programme of four exhibitions for next year. After the undercurrents by Gordon Bennett, Emily Karaka from January to April, The Blue Dome by Selina Ershadi from April to July, a group show CRIT: Art learning since 1987 from July to September and the annual Chartwell Trust New Commissions exhibition to round out the year.

Bid, bet, and fundraise for The Physics Room

The Physics Room’s annual fundraiser, Star Walker, has 14 artworks up for sale, generously donated by the artists – including Edith Amituanai, Turumeke Harrington, Nova Paul, Sriwhana Spong, James Tapsell-Kururangi, and John Vea. Bidding starts at $150. There’s also a raffle for those with smaller pockets, and the prize has been donated by local businesses like Frances Nation, Earnest Art Services, Lumière Cinemas, and Blue Flower Texts. Get your tickets at the closing night party on 12 December.

👔 Human resources

Glen Kyne appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board of Directors.  

Glen Kyne brings knowledge from the media sector having been the Chief Commercial Officer at MediaWorks NZ, and Senior Vice President and Head of Network at Warner Bros Discovery for Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Heading out is long-serving board member David Wright who has left after several years.

New trustees at Creative Bay of Plenty 

Three new trustees, Jason Te Mete (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi), Ray Day, and Bevan Spalding join a new chairperson, Lindsay Price, on the Creative Bay of Plenty board. Price joined the board in 2023 and is a strategic communications specialist with experience in government relations, public policy, media, and stakeholder management. Jason Te Mete is a multidisciplinary artist and kaiwhakahaere of Tuatara Collective; Ray Day, chair of Public Art Ōmokoroa and former senior local government manager; and chartered accountant Bevan Spalding brings expertise in financial strategy.

👀 Further reading

“Not a writer” Damien Levi graced our website this week with a beautiful reflective piece on mentorship and criticism in the arts. It’s a must-read.

Alison Taylor has just finished six years as CEO Te Kaihiringa of Auckland’s regional arts trust, Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi, so we asked her a few questions about the changes she helped evolve there.

Silo Theatre has a cool new hall on East Street that they’re sharing with other companies and the community. Sam Brooks has all the details.

📧 Say hi!

Let me know what you think about the Artswire and our other editorial coverage at editor@thebigidea.co.nz

There’s not much of the year left, my friends, kia kaha!