Bronwyn Holloway-Smith
Doctor of Philosophy, (Art)
Study Completed: 2019
College of Creative Arts
Citation
Thesis Title
The Southern Cross Cable: A Tour: Art, the internet and national identify in Aotearoa New Zealand
Read article at Massey Research Online: 
In popular public perception the internet is an intangible force, in 'the cloud'. However, in reality, Aotearoa-New Zealand depends on physical internet cables draped under the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea in order to remain connected to the outside world. This study questions who holds power over New Zealand's internet connectivity, and what agency New Zealand citizens have to respond to this. Through her investigative art practice, Ms Holloway-Smith created a body of artworks centred on the Southern Cross Cable Network, New Zealand's major international internet connection from 2000 onwards. This included the restoration of a historic mural, a scuba dive to hold the cable, and a tour guide enabling readers to follow the cable's path across New Zealand. Together these works increase public understanding of the jurisdictional limits of the internet and illustrate ways in which an individual member of the public can physically respond to the supposedly 'intangible' internet.
Supervisors
Distinguished Professor Sally Morgan
Associate Professor Martin Patrick