Introduction

The year 2005 was marked by some significant achievements for Enjoy, most notably the change of space to its current location a little further down Cuba Street. The move was something which had been conceptualised years before, but had always seemed like a pipe- dream. When a rent hike was imminent it became clear that finding new premises was a necessity and the shift became a reality. Enjoy at its new residence of 147 Cuba Street is a light and bright space with a high stud and polished wooden floors. With a larger office, more storage space and superior facilities, no longer do we need to ask local cafés to fill up buckets of water to mop the floor, or take paintbrushes home to wash. The new site has also provided novel architectural challenges and considerations for artists to work with: the wall of windows makes the gallery interior visible from the street a storey below and on a sunny day the space is flooded with light, a feature which can’t be ignored. The new location has also brought about an increase in foot traffic and contributed to a general energy and optimism for the gallery’s future.

In 2005 Enjoy also celebrated its fifth birthday; no small feat in the fickle world of artist-run initiatives. Gallery Manager Melanie Hogg and I curated a celebratory exhibition, Playing Favourites, to mark the occasion, where we selected some of our best-loved artists from throughout New Zealand and showcased their work. The anniversary was also signalled by the release of our retrospective catalogue, a well-received publication of images, nostalgia, opinion pieces and critical essays. It is with a great sense of pride that we can now look back and see how far we’ve come.

For the first time in its history, 2005 saw Enjoy programme a full year of exhibitions at once. While remaining mindful to not become staid in this predictability, the capacity to plan ahead a year in advance led to an increased efficiency and professionalism with which the shows turned around. In recognition of our programming, this catalogue covers the full year of exhibitions of 2005, start to finish. You are offered the chance to revisit shows you might have seen, or experience for the first time what you might have missed. I’d like to thank all the writers who contributed to this catalogue, the artists for giving them something to write about, and of course designer Jayne Joyce, without whom nothing Enjoy does would look so good.

I hope you like it.