What if the Gold needs to Stay in the Ground?
WHEN: Thursday 19 February - Thursday 2 April 2026; 11am - 2pm Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday
WHERE: 125 George Street

Dunedin Dream Brokerage is proud to support What if the Gold Needs to Stay in the Ground?, a 42-day art and poetry installation by Ōtepoti artist and writer Kirstie McKinnon. 

The project brings together a collective of artists and writers responding to the proposed gold mining in the Dunstan Ranges.

At its centre, a sculptural mountain form carries both weight and vulnerability, expressing the fragility of a landscape shaped by extraction. Through poetry and visual art, the installation invites visitors to move thoughtfully through the space, reflect on what may be lost and what might yet be protected, and contribute their own voice to the collective response.

Contributing visual artists include Claire Beynon, Liz Abbott, Nicholena Pine and Rachel McMillian. Poetry and prose feature works by Emma Neale, Michelle Elvy, Iona Winter, Carolyn McCurdie, David Kārena-Holmes, Robert Sullivan, Megan Kitching, Kim Cope Tait, Lissa Moore and others, forming a collective creative response for the whenua.

Poetry Reading
WHEN: Sunday 1 March, 1.30pm - 2.30pm
WHERE: The Dunningham Suite, 4th floor Dunedin Central Library, 230 Moray Place

Join us for a special event celebrating the installation, held in the Dunningham Suite at the Dunedin City Library on 1 March at 1:30pm.

Enjoy a poetry reading of works from the installation, presented by the contributing writers, including a piece by Aotearoa Poet Laureate Robert Sullivan. Otago poets will also read in honour of the Dunstan Ranges, making this a memorable afternoon of words, landscape, and shared experience.