The decision to send art collective et al to represent New Zealand at the Venice Biennale in 2005 created the kind of controversy which is too boring to write about here. One outcome was the lack of official New Zealand representation at the biennale in 2007. In this climate, with the future of our participation in the biennale uncertain, a group of eight curators decided to respond with a publication rather than an exhibition. The idea behind Speculation is straightforward and good – which New Zealand artist now or in the future could be sent to the Venice Biennale and exhibit in the New Zealand pavilion? Each curator nominated a list of artists, and the artists in turn present pages of their work. I really like the simplicity of this concept, and the book has nice images and not too much over-the-top art writing. I’m not sure how I feel about some of the choices, but the range is diverse, including established names like Billy Apple and Bill Hammond, plus some of the best younger artists like the awesome Andrew Mcleod.
