Anja Harrison & Xanthe Harrison Lamplighters

This work came out of a collaboration project spanning opposite sides of the globe, where a conversation was recorded over the space of three months, initially so that nothing said would be lost. Together Anja and Xanthe were building a space from the ideas they shared and the records of this could be used to map what took place.

• The lamplighter talks to the Little Prince, while heralding morning and night.
• Virginia Woolf told us we needed to create a room of our own.
• Getting lost in translation between French and English.

However, now that the conversation exists in a time and place, it is the memory of the lightbulb moments where the same thoughts were simultaneous that leave the most indelible trace for Xanthe and Anja. These traces have become more important than the actual conversation, as they symbolise the path taken along the way. They are the intersections, loops and motifs of the collaboration, like any train of thought.

Anja and Xanthe Harrison

Anja and Xanthe are sisters both working in creative fields, one here in New Zealand and the other in France. Geographically miles apart, but sharing a soft spot for fashion and art. Anja has studied and worked in fashion for the last 5 years while living in Paris, working for labels such as Thomas Engelhart, Balenciaga and Acne. Xanthe is a graphic designer freelancing between Wellington and Auckland, you can see more of her work here.