Iona Winter

Despite COVID limitations, this week my good friend and collaborator Victoria McIntosh and I were able to have a middling event (rather than an opening or closing) for our mixed media exhibition (a)version.

https://www.dunedinfringe.nz/white-box

(a)version is a mixed media response to the way our world defines beauty, gender and ageing.

My story, ‘Your version of beauty does not define me’ as published with Reflex Fiction in May, led to a strong response from Victoria. How about collaborating on an exhibition?

Victoria had the perfect piece ‘My Mother’s Chair’ to go with the story. From there we decided to include audio, and another of Victoria’s wonderful creations, ‘Fat Pants’. Then before we knew it, there was a space to exhibit and everything came together with surprising ease – it was meant to be.

My heartfelt thanks to Victoria, for responding to my story, her powerful and stunning creations, and our friendship. Thanks to Katrina, at Dunedin Fringe, for offering us an exhibition slot in the White Box space. To Reflex Fiction for giving us approval to use the story. And to our whānau, whānau of choice, and friends for supporting the work – we couldn’t do any of this without you.

(a)version is running 1-20 September 2020, at Dunedin Fringe’s White Box space.