'A Visit to the Hocken Collections -- Sono Tomoka.

I chose “Razzle Dazzle” as my favorite artwork from the exhibition at the Hocken Collections. The reason I chose this piece is that I couldn’t take my eyes off it from the moment I entered the exhibition space.

At first glance, the artwork appears to be symmetrical. However, when you look at it more carefully, you will notice that it is not perfectly balanced. This subtle imbalance creates a sense of movement and tension. I didn’t know what “Razzle Dazzle” meant at first, so I looked it up. Through that, I was able to understand not only the meaning of the word, but also, what the artist was trying to express.

When it comes to artworks such as novels or paintings, which ones tend to move you more—those created by AI or those created by humans? I think most of you would choose the latter. In my opinion, humans tend to be more deeply moved by things that are imperfect rather than those that are too perfect. Compared to perfect works, imperfect ones allow us to feel the artist’s emotions, such as their struggles, passion, or excitement.

This is why I found “Razzle Dazzle” so fascinating. Its slight imperfections made it feel more human and expressive. This experience made me realize that imperfection can be a powerful element in art, making it more powerful and gorgeous.

During my tour of the collection on the ground floor, I was impressed by the variety of materials, such as historical posters and architectural drawings from New Zealand’s past. Especially, a poster which ask British people to move to New Zealand was most interesting for me.

What I found most interesting was how these everyday items can tell us about people’s lives and values at that time. They felt more personal and real than typical artworks.

If I could research something from the past, I would choose the development of cities like Dunedin. I’m interested in how people imagined their future and how those ideas shaped the cities we see today.