Trading Table
9 March 2007
cnr High Street and Freyberg Place
courtesy of the artist and Michael Lett, Auckland
EVE ARMSTRONG
New Zealand
Downtown Auckland
As the Trading Table is usually set-up in a busy, public location, passers-by frequently become participant traders. These passer-by participants often arrive at the table empty-handed, only to find that their unexpected encounters generate inventive and unusual trades. These impromptu trades have included recipes, a numerology chart, offers of skilled labour and even relationship advice via email.
Without material objects to trade, participants draw on personal skills, ideas and creativity. The trading table facilitator is also on hand to assist table participants to realise and discover trade options.
The facilitator and participants must then negotiate the to and fro of trade to find suitable exchanges.
What can be traded? Is value stable? Is fair trade possible?
This space of activity and exchange disrupts the regular flow of monetary trade to create new trading practices and currencies in a fragile and frenetic table top economy.
- Eve Armstrong, adapted from How to Hold a Trading Table: A Manual for Beginners, 2004
Background
Born in Upper Hutt, New Zealand in 1978, Eve Armstrong is currently based in Auckland. Her work was the subject of a major solo-exhibition ROAM, ARTSPACE, Auckland, 2005-6. Other solo exhibitions include Book Bonaza, rm103, Auckland, 2004; and SLIPs: Small Local Improvement Projects, Enjoy Public Art Gallery, Wellington, 2006. As a recent graduate from Elam School of Fine Arts, she was involved in The Auckland Project facilitated by Australian artist Louisa Bufadeci for Public/Private - Tumatanui/Tumataiti: The 2nd Auckland Triennial, 2004. Other group exhibitions include Resistance through Rituals, Westspace, Melbourne, 2004; The Bed You Lie In, ARTSPACE, Auckland, 2004; Likes the Outdoors, Ramp Gallery, Hamilton, 2005; A Tale of Two Cities: Busan-Seoul / Seoul-Busan, Busan Biennial, 2006; and don't misbehave!: SCAPE 2006 Biennial of Art in Public Space, Christchurch. Armstrong held the 2006 Summer Artist in Residence at Enjoy Public Art Gallery, Wellington, receiving the Arts Foundation of New Zealand inaugural New Generation Award in November of that year. Key texts on the artist include her limited edition artist books How To Hold A Trading Table: A Manual For Beginners and Cardboard Box Adaptives, both 2004, and Jessica Reid's essay in the catalogue for don't misbehave!
