Planet of the Lucky Charms

Gus Fisher Gallery, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024

For the un/luck project, as part of the group exhibition eight thousand layers of moments, Planet of the Lucky Charms combines an image from the cover of a 1980s German science fiction novella (Planet der Glücksbringer) and personal and studio artefacts from my own artistic luck archive. There is of course the possibility that we all live on a planet of lucky charms where any object, however ordinary, has the potential to generate memory, emotion and meaning, depending on our relationship to it and its connection to ourselves and the wider world.

Objects included in the installation include:

The Eggs I Pickled with Andy Smith, Berlin, July, 2019 (digital print); Wisdom Tooth, 2023 (digtial print); Chimney Sweeps Brush with Plastic Bristles, from Berlin; Toad on the Doorstep When I Got Back From Auckland, Newcastle upon Tyne, 2006 (digital print); Shed Snake Skins, Mynämaki, 2017 (digital print); Bleigiessen (Molybdomancy), Luckenwalde, 2023 (digital print); Nidnod, from Grandma’s Cabinet, Howick, 2012 (digital video); Crystal Ball with Claw Stand from (Grandmother) Ettie’s Table, Papatoetoe 2010; Chimney Sweeps Brush with Metal Bristles, Berlin, 2023; Sweeps Talisman, Berlin, 2023; Four Leaf Clover Coin, Berlin, 2023; Chimney Sweeps Jacket Button with Saint Florian, Berlin, 2023; Hemp Doll, Braunschweig, 2015; The Byker Mummers, Badge, Newcastle upon Tyne, 2004; Two Cans of Cocagne Sardines, London, 2010; Safety Pin and Amor Condoms, from the Courier Costume, Braunschweig, 2015; Two Losing Wild Cash Scratch Lottery Cards, Berlin, 2023; Backwards Clock, London, 2009; Handbell, London, 2010 and the Butterthief costume, 2018.

Butterthief alludes to secretive butter stealing and vomiting figures from Nordic folklore called para. Paras stole milk from other households’ cows, reflecting a belief that good fortune was a limited commodity in society and was obtained in balance to misfortune. The costume for Butterthief is constructed from an assortment of butter wrappers from various locations to create a carnival-type figure dressed in used packaging. In an exhibition context, Butterthief operates as a dairy-based, international talisman.

The group exhibition, eight thousand layers of moments considers luck from a range of artistic perspectives. Spanning multiple geographies and cultural positions, the artworks touch on the operations of chance, unpredictability, agency and control. It is the first exhibition for un/luck, a collaborative artistic research exchange instigated by Matthew Cowan in 2023. The understanding of luck takes many forms across history, culture and language, raising questions of power, agency, influence and chance. This project collects the artistic process of a group of thirteen artists connected with the doctoral programmes at the Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, New Zealand and The Academy of Fine Arts, Uniarts Helsinki, together considering luck and its connotations.

Participating Artists: Roma Anderson, Katrina Beekhuis, Matthew Cowan, Paul Cullen, Miklos Gaál, Matthew Galloway, Henna-Riikka Halonen, Sean Kerr, Yukari Kaihori, Louise Menzies, Ilya Orlov, Mirimari Väyrynen, Denise Ziegler.

Images are from the installation Planet of the Lucky Charms, 2024, in eight thousand layers of moments at Gus Fisher Gallery.
[image credits: Lindsey de Roos.]