The Trekka in Venice

The Trekka emerged from decades of obscurity in 2003, taking a place on the world art stage at the 50th Venice Biennale, the world’s biggest art expo.

Taranaki-born artist Michael Stevenson’s installation “This is the Trekka” represented New Zealand with a $600,000 project which attracted nearly 60,000 international visitors.

Stevenson’s Trekka came largely from West Auckland, with parts taken from one found in Hamilton, and was rebuilt to new condition before being dismantled and shipped to Venice.

The installation told a story of contradictions that existed in New Zealand in the 1960’s, a democratic South Pacific nation striving for industrial independence, but managing to create its own vehicle only through trade with communist Czechoslovakia.

Other elements included a wall of butter boxes and the Moniac – the world’s first hydraulic computer developed by New Zealand economist Bill Phillips – all installed in a round 17th century church, La Maddelena.

Michael Stevenson’s Trekka work returned to New Zealand, eventually bought by the National Museum Te Papa and displayed at Wellington City Gallery in an exhibition from July to October 2005.

You can find more about this at www.nzatvenice.com.

A radio documentary “Trekka Goes to Venice” is also available from Radio New Zealand.