It’s a striking and brutal name for an art collective. The Killing is made up of six friends and former Elam School of Fine Arts students in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. At the time, they say, the choice of the name reflected their mindset – angsty, angry at the institution and full of what they describe as a lot of ‘young adult feelings’.
But The Killing’s stance has since softened, creating an interesting juxtaposition when placed next to art which can be gentle, inclusive and even cute and naive.
The group includes Venus Blacklaws, Tristan Bloemstein, Daniella Bay, Minsoh Choi and p.A – also known as Benny.
Tristan and Benny spoke to Culture 101’s Perlina Lau.
Feeling like outsiders at art school, the students gravitated towards each other. Bloemstein says friendship, family and love remain the priority amongst the group.
“Friendship comes first and maintaining that will maintain everything else that comes into play.”
When it comes to what they represent and what they stand for, they hope it’s felt and expressed in their art.
“The cohesiveness and unity of us being multiple, differing individuals with varied lived experiences and nuanced histories – I think that’s the vibe people feel,” explains Benny.
The group are very aware of their privilege having studied at Elam.
“Studying alone is such a privilege let alone studying a luxurious degree like fine arts – we get to fingerpaint and perform with lipstick. Not a lot of POC (people of colour) and intersections get to experience that.”
The Killing is currently exhibiting in two major galleries. Imaginary Friends as part of Aotearoa Contemporary at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi O Tamaki and Cirque du Killing: Feast at CoCA in Ōtautahi Christchurch.