The Public Stand – an ode to the Avondale Racecourse

“Historically, sound offers a counterculture to the pervasiveness of visual culture. We see this in how sound in youth and pop culture provides a vehicle for cultural and political activism, we see this historically in portable and private sound technologies such as; the Walkman, discman and MP3 player, the invasion of public spaces with ghetto blasters balanced on shoulders in the early 1990s, anarchic student radio stations, and early propaganda radio in World War II. Sound is often transmitted through technology as a way of subverting sociality and space.” – Becca Wood and Molly Mullen

Artists Molly Mullen and Becca Wood wove together memories shared by locals, field and archival recordings, and poetic musings to create an immersive one-hour soundtrack with live performers, experienced at the Avondale Racecourse.

The racecourse has played a central role in Avondale’s history since 1889. Since its centenary in 1989, its future has been questioned on multiple occasions, each time reaffirming the site’s significance to local and Auckland-wide communities.

Celebrating this rich and layered history, The Public Stand took audiences on an onsite audio journey through the many identities of the racecourse. The work reflected on its grand tradition of racing while also exploring its transformation into a military camp, a hospital during the 1918 influenza pandemic, a site of early aviation experiments, and the venue for the 1981 Polynesian Festival.

Audiences experienced The Public Stand in two ways: by walking the course while listening via radio headphones, or by gathering in the grandstand to hear the work broadcast through the tannoy system.

About the artist | Kōrero mō te Kaitoi