Satellite in the City

In the inner city sanctum of St Benedicts Street, part of the burgeoning inner city arts precinct, is Satellite Gallery, the offspring of Devonport’s Depot Artspace.

Satellite supports practising artists across all media whose work is developing in a direction which explores, examines, challenges and transcends taken-for-granted constructs and trends in and of the current environment; among them aesthetics, technology, social institutions and ideologies such as religion, and politics.

We hope that this approach will encourage an appreciation of the arts as an elemental component of a culture in its capacity to both draw attention to and to question the everyday, the unevaluated, aspects of our lives. The Vernacular Lounge is an example of such engagement; an exploration and representation of New Zealand’s distinctive culture – both past and present.

Satellite offers opportunities for exhibitions, performance, film screenings and residencies and an experience of community, where the human dimension supersedes the profit motive as a primary interest.

Satellite’s philosophy of inclusiveness, which it shares with the Depot, is its point of difference, along with its desire to reinstate freedom, of expression and appreciation, to artists and their audiences. Artistic expression, and appreciation, is almost the last bastion of freedom in a world over-run by ‘middle-men’ and brokers,  who sequester this freedom within the parameters of known 'named artists' and 'expert advice'.

Satellite values the artist above its own capacity to capitalise on the artist’s work for it recognises the artist as the origin of its raison d’etre.

The Vernacular Lounge

This year Satellite Gallery has become home to the Vernacular Lounge, an intimate living room where the influences that shape New Zealand’s distinctive cultural identity as defined by its art, architecture, literature, film and other cultural forms, are discussed, debated, explored and celebrated.

The ‘lounge’, while not peculiar to New Zealand, is traditionally and typically the social hub of the New Zealand home and it is in this spirit and form that the Vernacular Lounge will host and initiate presentations, exhibitions, happenings, recitals, screenings, concerts and performances that explore and develop our cultural vernacular.

It is a living community space in which to also acknowledge and celebrate those Cultural Icons who have significantly contributed to and who enliven and enrich this vernacular.

“Vernacular… belonging in place, knowing your own stories, realising your own potential. Being yourself rather than trying to be someone else” Tony Watkins

“Cultures are not manufactured by artists or declared by committees. They are the responses of peoples, in a particular time and a particular place, to that time and that place…They are not shaped by social revolutions but by a continuous accumulation of personal rebellions. They are enriched by the tensions of challenge. They are about difference more than they are about sameness” Hamish Keith

Linda Blincko

Linda is based at The Depot and provides guidance and support to Satellite Gallery.

Robyn Gibson - Guardian (Kaitiaki)

I am thrilled to become a guardian for the Satellite Gallery.  It has always been a place which encourages inventiveness and exploration and it will be a true pleasure to remain an integral part of Satellite as it develops further into the Vernacular Lounge.

Federico Monsalve - Administrator

Born in Colombia, Federico has done a bit of everything. He has picked apples in the Wairarapa beside a large biker who spent the day singing Italian arias, had his short stories rejected by dozens of great literary magazines (and published by a handful),  been a feature writer and reviewer, written for the professional stage and the silver screen in Mexico City (where he recently finished film school). He’s been mugged in Bogota and Buenos Aires as a sporadic travel writer, accidentally spilled beer on Beach Boy Brian Wilson at a party being thrown by Sean Lennon. He re-launched and ran the community weekly newspaper City Voice in Wellington and worked in policy and consular areas in two NZ Embassies overseas.

At Satellite Gallery he is looking forward to more memorable and exciting experiences in his role as administrator.