Inspired by a painting by Blair Sands ‘Staring At The Full Moon Like A Lover’, which incorporates lyrics from the Little River Band song ‘Cool Change’, the exhibition explored the way that music resonates with us, being symbolic of particular times in our lives.

Cool Change featured work by 33 artists. It included work from a collaboration with CoCA Rewire, in which nine Room 5 artists responded to the themes, materials and influences in Peter Robinson’s exhibition Fieldwork, through delicate sculptures, works on paper and digital images.

The opening of Cool Change also marked the launch of a research report ‘Evaluation for Ōtautahi Creative Spaces Trust’, by Ihi Research. The report documents the “profound” impact of Ōtautahi Creative Spaces’ programmes on artists’ mental health and general wellbeing. It found that identity as an artist, rather than as a person with experience of distress, is the catalyst for change.