"GOD IS JUST ANOTHER ARTIST, LIKE ME" - (Salvador Dali)

We went to the opening of the art exhibition last night. The theme is religious painting in NZ and features some of the countries top artists (Goldie, Woolaston, Formiston, McCahon, Clairmont, Hotere, Gimblet) etc. The set up is great with the small gallery segmented into 'rooms' featuring the art at different times in NZ history and by influence. The exhibition was blessed on the opening by not one religion but four - with a Buddhist monk, a Christian (head of religious studies at Victoria University), a Baha'i faith disciple and a Maori kaumatua. The blessings went on for ages and The Old Girl, for whom atheism seemed to have been invented, mouthed to me 'you owe me' at one stage. I judiciously moved away from her where she was standing beneath the skylight in case a bolt of lightning came down.

The exhibition has traditional Christian imagery, Maori spirituality, Greek mythology, Buddhist statuary, Baha'i weirdness and even some Hindu stuff. Ethereal and eclectic.

The Buddhist blessing was the longest and it made me think of Richard (of RBB) - no, not just because of the droning noises that the monks made although it did make me want to bolt for the door - but because of the Buddhist expressions (translated) of peace and friendship that the old guy has referred to in his blog in the past (he seems to have got over that now though - ed.).