Can you define a generation? _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

With City Gallery Te Whare Toi’s building under construction for the foreseeable future, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to present a large-scale show that required a large space, seeing as the gallery would have access to the fourth floor of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Generation X: 50 artworks from the Chartwell Collection requires museum conditions. “The artworks are on loan and must be presented with the right lighting and temperature”, curator Megan Dunn says, adding that the other reason for putting together this exhibition is a bit more personal. “This year is my 50^th birthday too, so I wanted to showcase my generation, artists born between 1965 and 1980, and examine our legacy.”

Running until the 20^th of October, Generation X pays homage to 50 years of one of Aotearoa’s most significant contemporary art collections. The big, noisy group spans painting, sculpture, installation, sound, and video. The show features a wall of landline phones – guests can pick up a receiver to listen to the artists talk about their work in their own words.

Honouring the Chartwell Collection for its bold championing of art and creative thinking, the big question of the show is, can you define a generation?

“We tend to stereotype generations,” Dunn continues. “‘Okay Boomer’, the idea of millennials as snowflakes, and Generation X, once counter cultural slackers, are now labelled the forgotten generation. I want us to be unforgotten!”