The Shared Lines Kaikōura festival opened with a traditional group art exhibition. The Kaikōura Memorial Hall was transformed into a multipurpose space able to host sculpture, painting, photography, digital art and performace. The salon hang showcased over 100 works, with artists hailing from Wellington, Christchurch, Japan, Australia and Fiji as well as Kaikōura. The mood in different parts of the space shifted with tone, palette and medium – from sombre to vibrant, contemplative to expressive. The show had over 900 people through the doors over the week, enjoying dynamic conversations and visual relationships between works by both established, emerging, national and international artists.