Mari Mahr: Two Walking

Photography is often spoken about in relation to memory or the past; in this exhibition two series by Hungarian photographer Mari Mahr catalogue a place outside of time. Two Walk in Paris and Two Walk in Edinburgh—sixteen photographs, each accompanied by text from Wellington poets Gregory O’Brien and Jenny Bornholdt—are about the acts of walking and talking, and most significantly, looking through cities together.

Acutely observed and elegiac, these works continue the autobiographical pursuit which characterises Mahr’s photographic practice. They are inventories of conversations, tools and objects intimately known, as well as a record of the watchfulness inherent in all close relationships. While these images adopt the intimate perspective of places explored on foot, they do not present recognisable locations. Rather, they bring together constructed scenes in which each element is drawn from the lexicon of a longstanding personal relationship.

These are all recent works, dating from the time when Mahr’s late husband Graham Percy first became very ill. Percy was a New Zealand-born artist, illustrator, typographer and designer, and many of Mahr’s images directly reference his graphic work, incorporating tools or materials he used. These are re-phrased in the context of the two cities of Paris and Edinburgh, positioned as private monuments to his presence and work. Much of Mahr’s photographic work is concerned with architectural forms and constructions; here it is the architecture of grief at stake. Collage-like, Mahr’s methodology is one of salvage, holding on to and making visible that which remains.

Mari Mahr: Two Walking is an exhibition partnership between City Gallery Wellington and Gus Fisher Gallery, The University of Auckland.

Event listed by City Gallery Wellington

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