Welcome to the first episode of ‘Walking, Talking, Reading, Writing’ Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery’s podcast series exploring themes running through the exhibitions ‘Nick Austin: Life Puzzle’ and ‘Aro Toi / Art Collection in Focus: Ana Iti, A dusty handrail on the track’. The common point of departure is a push-pull approach to language and physical structure, referencing different approaches to narrative sequencing and spanning physical or temporal distances.

This episode features Rachel O’Neill, a Pākehā queer filmmaker, writer and artist living and working between the Kāpiti Coast and Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa. Rachel develops screen-based projects, writes books and collaborates on cross-disciplinary projects, seeking out fresh ways to see and understand the human condition and to unearth the humour and strangeness that underlie experience.

On the 8th of March 2023 Rachel presented a playful and poetic discussion exploring the interpersonal tones and shifting arrays of voices that shape our day. During this talk, participants were invited to spend some time ‘listening to the voice’ of an artwork of their choice, exploring it in relation to self, moment and situation. It was hoped that these personal ‘found sounds’ might generate curious ‘chords’ of experience for private or group reflection.

The talk was an intriguing undertaking that provoked a unique reading of the exhibition. This episode is Rachel’s adaption for podcast, opening the experience to anyone, anywhere, anytime.