Ardit Hoxha, lost dream[s], 2023 (detail). Image courtesy of the artist. Commissioned by Te Tuhi, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Photo Credit
Presented across Te Tuhi’s Billboards in Pakuranga and Parnell, lost dream[s] by artist and writer Ardit Hoxha quotes the Final Statement (1950) of William Lewis Robertson. Robertson was a campaigner for consumer co-ops in 1940’s New Zealand; supermarkets that would redirect profits back to the communities they served. His proposals included a health centre, cultural and recreational facilities.
To Robertson’s dismay, these plans were short-lived; the first Labour Government withdrew its initial support for the scheme, for fear of alienating business allies. Penning his ‘Final Statement’ in response, Robertson took his life shortly after, having become increasingly disillusioned by the failure of his advocacy.
Interested in utopian urban projects and social design, Hoxha considers Robertson's vision alongside the empty potential of the Pakuranga Plaza, which sits patiently awaiting investment. Like Robertson, Hoxha invites us to imagine an alternative future, one untethered to private capital.
Visit the work on billboards both at Te Tuhi and Parnell Station.
Opening Hours
- Monday - Sunday, 9am - 5pm
- Closed public holidays
Address
- 13 Reeves Road
- Pakuranga
- Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland 2010
Presented across Te Tuhi’s Billboards in Pakuranga and Parnell, lost dream[s] by artist and writer Ardit Hoxha quotes the Final Statement (1950) of William Lewis Robertson. Robertson was a campaigner for consumer co-ops in 1940’s New Zealand; supermarkets that would redirect profits back to the communities they served. His proposals included a health centre, cultural and recreational facilities.
To Robertson’s dismay, these plans were short-lived; the first Labour Government withdrew its initial support for the scheme, for fear of alienating business allies. Penning his ‘Final Statement’ in response, Robertson took his life shortly after, having become increasingly disillusioned by the failure of his advocacy.
Interested in utopian urban projects and social design, Hoxha considers Robertson's vision alongside the empty potential of the Pakuranga Plaza, which sits patiently awaiting investment. Like Robertson, Hoxha invites us to imagine an alternative future, one untethered to private capital.
Visit the work on billboards both at Te Tuhi and Parnell Station.
