oOh!media brings New Zealand’s lost species to life

The ghosts of New Zealand’s gone birds have flocked to streets around the country, with twelve national treasures reclaiming the land that was once theirs as part of an oOh!media campaign for The Urban Art Foundation.

The Extinct Birds of New Zealand campaign will see the works of local artist Paul Martinson brought to life on over 100 digital panels across oOh!’s street furniture and retail network in major cities around the country.

The campaign is the third joint initiative between oOh!media and The Urban Art Foundation, which digitizes the works of local artists and places them in the public eye to bring vibrancy and culture to the streets of New Zealand.

oOh!media New Zealand’s General Manager, Nick Vile, said the current exhibition aims to enliven the everyday excursion while bringing environmental conversations around extinction and wildlife preservation to the forefront.

“Our collaborations with The Urban Art Foundation always use art to tap into significant moments and themes throughout New Zealand’s history and present them in an exciting way to the public,” said Mr. Vile.

“In bringing these pieces out of the galleries and onto the streets, we’re transforming the landscape of traditional art and the way that we talk about it, giving the public an opportunity to have more open dialogues about topical issues with their friends, family, colleagues, or even strangers passing by.”

Creative Director of The Urban Art Foundation, Andrew Hagen, said the artworks displayed on oOh!media’s digital assets are always accentuated, never compromised.

“Stunning is the word that comes to mind, as though these particular paintings were made for the screens,” Mr. Hagen said.

The Extinct Birds of New Zealand can be found in Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston, Wellington, and Whanganui until mid-December – where they’ll then return to the history books.