Screening: Towards the Sun by Connor Fitzgerald

Join us for an evening screening of Towards the Sun by Connor Fitzgerald, as part of Cruel Optimism, our annual new artists show.

Towards the Sun is the first feature length film by Te Whanganui-a-Tara based artist Connor Fitzgerald. Filmed over a 12 month period, Towards the Sun emanates from a collection of poems and drawings made in 2020 by Fitzgerald titled Tilt Towards the Sun.

The ephemeral material in Tilt Towards the Sun documents a significant change in the artist's life - an intense moment of transformation that was at once liberating and horrifying. Fitzgerald then interpreted their text through the versatility of their camera lens, breaking conventional filmic narrative techniques in pursuit of freedom and clarity in the slippages and cracks.

Towards the Sun is an experiment in earthiness, connecting to the natural world as a way of articulating a sense of self and emotional wellbeing. Bound to themes of renewal and rebirth, and embracing the concept of ka mua, ka muri, Fitzgerald recollects and reforms memories in a process of healing. Embodying the chaotic push and pull of the ocean’s currents, Towards the Sun is a prism shattering light towards the darkness.

Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

This event will be taking place under the restrictions of the orange traffic light. Please remember: mask, scan, pass and maintain social distancing while in the gallery.

CONNOR FITZGERALD

Connor Fitzgerald is an artist and writer based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, working mostly in video and poetry. A constant within their research is themself, her transness, their body, and the centering of these overlapping entities within the wider context of her surroundings. Through this they hope to open opportunities for grounding processes, both for herself and those around them.