Four years since their last show in New Zealand, art collective Paper Pirates is back in town. After exhibiting in Tokyo (2014) and New York (2015), the initiative (instigated by two local creatives Tim Lambourne and Joe Dowling) is coming to both Auckland and Wellington this December, and they happen to want your photographs.

Co-founder Dowling says: “Having spent quite a bit of time away over the past few years, it’s really nice to be back in NZ. The little photography community here has really blossomed in the past few years. A diverse bunch of people are making really nice work along with some rad small businesses who take pride in their work and have a sense of community as part of their ethos. For us, this is just a great chance to celebrate that, show some great photos, get them stolen, and have party.”  

If you’re not familiar the PP concept, here’s how it works: following a “shoot-print-send-steal” directive, anyone and everyone is encouraged to submit up to four of your favourite photographs — either physically or (a new feature) digitally. For physical submissions, photographs can be printed on run of the mill paper, or the flash, high-quality kind, in A3 format or larger. The next step is to post them (2 versions of each for the 2 shows) to: (12 Alanbrooke Cres, Avondale, Auckland 0600) for the Auckland show, or (Precinct 35, 35 Ghuznee Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011) for the Wellington show.

After submissions close December 8th, 2017, Paper Pirates will collate all the photographs, plaster them to the wall in two yet-to-be-revealed spaces before all and sundry come to check them out, drink some Tiger Beer, and at the end of the night, when the beer runs out, steal the photographs off the wall to keep, for free, forever.

So go forth photographic friends, and find your place at this wonderfully democratic exhibition. At the very least, stay tuned so that you can get along to check out the talent with a brewskie in hand.