An art vending machine, coined a Kunstautomat by its creator Lars Kaiser, was installed at the Arts Centre on Tuesday as his vision is displayed in New Zealand for the first time.
Popular in parts of Europe during the 1960s and 70s, the vending machines have been repurposed by Potsdam-born Kaiser since 2001.
Danae Smith and Jeff Bain from Spreydon were among the first users to deposit $2 coins.
“It’s fun, as you don’t know what you’re going to get,” Smith said before the couple paid for two small art works and read background about the artists.
“For $6 you get a piece of handcrafted art which could be a painting, tiny sculpture, photograph, drawing, a cartoon or any other type of art you can imagine,” city council arts advisor Zara Potts said.
“There’s something exciting about not knowing exactly what’s about to come out of the machine. They’ll be great pieces to collect and just a bit of fun.”
Potts first spotted the Kunstautomat while on holiday in Berlin; Kaiser was contacted and he happily designed and donated one specifically for Christchurch, which is configured to accept New Zealand coins.
The Kunstautomat is situated in the south quad of the Arts Centre and is the first of three machines designated for New Zealand, thanks to a partnership between Kaiser, the council and the Goethe-Institut NZ.
“We are super excited to be launching the first one in the Southern Hemisphere and the first one in Aotearoa. It’s going to be a great asset for our Christchurch creatives,” Potts said.
Proceeds raised through sales will help support local artists and pay for their supplies.
The project is part of the council’s arts strategy Toi Ōtautahi, which has been developed to support the growth of the local arts sector and creative community.
