David Mackay
Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Victoria University of Wellington

Contemporary Visual Arts in our Culture

Along with other art-forms contemporary visual art defines us as a country and as a people. What distinguishes us from the state of Colorado, similar in size and population is not our economy or political system, but the way we perceive and represent ourselves. Visual art causes us to reflect on our history, landscape and our culture at an imaginative level. It provokes, challenges and sometimes infuriates us, but while we might admire and wonder about the visual art of other nations, ours is the only one we can be passionate about.