Martin Phillipps and The Chills 'Things Change' Exhibition Announced

Otago Museum have announced a special exhibition celebrating the work of Martin Phillipps and The Chills titled Things Change, tying in to a forthcoming documentary by Notable Pictures about the band's iconic frontman and songwriter. Comprised of "physical objects coming straight from Phillipps’ eclectic collection," the exhibition reflects on the artist's significant contribution to the famous Dunedin Sound which emerged to international prominence in the 1980s in association with Flying Nun Records.

Curated by Michael Findlay of Museograph, the show is a collaboration between the Otago Museum Design team and six Otago Polytechnic Communication Design students. The project was supervised by ex-The Chills member Martin Kean and project-managed and designed by Otago Museum’s Craig Scott, who shared his thoughts on the free upcoming show...

Things Change: Martin Phillipps and The Chills

Saturday 23rd June to Sunday 15th July - Otago Museum, H D Skinner Annex

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Press release:

Combine an iconic Dunedin band, an award-winning documentary company, and a group of Otago Polytechnic Communication Design students, and you have the makings of a unique exhibition opening at Otago Museum on Saturday 23 June.

The temporary exhibition is a collaboration between the Otago Museum Design team, Museograph and six Otago Polytechnic third year Communication Design students, supervised by lecturer and ex-The Chills member Martin Kean. It has been project-managed and designed by Otago Museum’s Head of Design Craig Scott, and curated by Michael Findlay of Museograph.

“The Chills are an integral part of Dunedin’s cultural story, so it has been a real privilege to collaborate on bringing this story to life in a museum setting,” says Craig. “Getting an understanding of Martin’s creative process really resonated with me as I designed the show. This is going to be so much more than your traditional museum display.”

The team has worked closely with Martin Phillipps to create a very personal and informative exhibition, with all physical objects coming straight from Phillipps’ eclectic collection.

Busting out of this picturesque university town at the bottom of the world in the late 1970s, The Chills were at the forefront of the musical movement ‘The Dunedin Sound’. Then the highest profile band on iconic indie label Flying Nun Records, by the 1980s The Chills had become the darlings of US college radio along with the likes of R.E.M. and the Pixies. They established themselves as, in the words of R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills, “the second best band in the world”.

Late in 2017, The Chills’ lead singer and songwriter Martin Phillipps was given a dire medical prognosis resulting in a desire to preserve the legacy of himself and the band. Martin has now picked apart a lifetime of memories and discovered precious items that will be showcased within the exhibition Things Change: Martin Phillipps and The Chills.

The exhibition and the process of its creation is being captured by Notable Pictures, as part of a theatrical documentary expected to premiere internationally early in 2019.

Things Change: Martin Phillipps and The Chills is a free exhibition, and will be located in the H D Skinner Annex from Saturday 23 June to Sunday 15 July 2018.