8th to 21st February, 2010

Bogle Bogle by Seung Yul Oh opens Saturday 13 February

Visitors to the arts festival season will delight in Oh's mischievous, animal-like shapes and forms. Known to Wellington audiences for Oddooki, five rocking egg-shaped birds recently displayed on Te Papa's sculpture terrace, Oh's work combines elements of East Asian pop culture with ironic references to Western modern art. Humour is the unifying theme in all his colourful creations. (image credit: Seung Yul Oh, Doongle Dongle, 2009 . Collection of TheNewDowse)

Drawing Conclusions: Hotere, MaCahon, Peebles, Walters opens Saturday 13 February

Major works from TheNewDowse collection by Ralph Hotere, Colin McCahon, Don Peebles and Gordon Walters alongside preparatory works that provide a glimpse into each artist's working process. (image credit: Gordon Walters, Waiata, 1977. Collection of TheNewDowse)

Bill Viola: The Messenger opens Saturday 20 February

Leading the gallery's festival line-up is The Messenger, a captivating video work by acclaimed American artist, Bill Viola. The Messenger envelops its viewers in an entrancing underwater world of image and sound that has been described as 'eye-opening' and 'life-affirming'. This is the first time a major work by Bill Viola has been exhibited in New Zealand. (Image credit: Bill Viola: The Messenger, 1996. Sound /video installation. Photo: Kira Perov) Coming Up

Shapeshifter 26 February to 21 March

Senses will again be challenged and perspectives shifted at Banks Shoes shapeshifter, one of New Zealand's premier sculpture exhibitions. Featuring sculptures from over 60 leading and emerging New Zealand artists, works will be spread between TheNewDowse and the adjacent Civic Gardens ($5 entry to the gardens with all proceeds going to charity). www.shapeshifter.org.nz

Continuing Exhibitions

LONG LIVE THE MODERN New Zealand's New Architecture 1904-1984 until 4 April

Long Live the Modern brings together original drawings and period books, journals and photographs, as well as new architectural models and recent photographs of significant modern buildings from around New Zealand. The exhibition concentrates on the post-World War II period, which saw enormous government expenditure on housing, public buildings and infrastructure projects, and a concurrent wave of private and commercial developments.

TOURED BY THE GUS FISHER GALLERY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND

Lisa Walker: Unwearable until 14 February 2010

TheNewDowse celebrates the achievements of one of New Zealand's most internationally successful jewellers with Unwearable, a survey exhibition that traces the dramatic changes in Lisa Walker's practice since the early 1990s - a tantalising transition from the traditional and wearable to the non. Trading in her soldering torch for the fast draw of the glue gun, Lisa Walker has spent the past 15 years living and working in Germany where her jewellery has evolved beyond the realm of practicality. Curated by Damian Skinner.

HotHouse (Season 2) extended until 21 March 2010

If you couldn't make it to Great Mercury Island last Monday afternoon, there is still a chance to view one of Peter Beck's amazing rockets. The second season of TheNewDowse's design exhibition HotHouse includes a smaller version of Rocket Lab's revolutionary rocket the Atea-1, it's called Rocket Lab: Shooting for the Stars, (2008). It also includes: Twig Coat Stand: Knobby by Nature and Design, Winner of the 2009 Home New Zealand Design Award; Trompe L'oeil: Tricking the Eye, Winner of the 2009 Westfield Style Pasifika New Zealand Fashion Awards and the 2009 Mittel Moda fashion Award; and Tu Ake: Standing Strong, Maori-moko inspired running shoes by Titahi Bay's Wiremu Barriball, Winner of 2009 Moromoda Maori Fashion Week Award.

Supported by GNS Science, a Crown Research Institute based in Lower Hutt, and Fraser Engineering Group.