They are artists drawn together by a common theme: the news.
The News Network is a grouping of transtasman artists who have some connection with the news in their work.
Their work depicts issues of the moment or they use news images or text in their work.
It was an idea set up by artist and Monash University researcher Marian Crawford to bring together artists with common interests in print media and fine art printmaking processes, politics and current events, to produce a series of artworks through a series of artist residences in various locations.
''I have colleagues at AUT, RMIT University in Melbourne and at the DSA in Dunedin who I realised have similar interests to me, so this project brings them all together to see what common ground there is.''
She believed it was important to show how artists were engaged with current events, and thought the project would also develop a transtasman research culture, build a sense of community engagement and strengthen the arts practice of artists involved.
So far there were eight people involved apart from Crawford: Tosh Ahkit (New Zealand), Richard Harding (Australia), Chris McBride (New Zealand), Trent Walter (Australia), Karol Wilczynska (New Zealand) and Kate Zizys (Australia/New Zealand).
''There will probably be other members, as it is a loose group.''
She hopes the network will contribute to contemporary debate on current events and their representation in contemporary media, and explore how artists can contribute to these debates.
The group, including Dunedin School of Art studio co-ordinator Neil Emmerson and print studio lecturer Marion Wassenaar, had its first meeting in Dunedin this month to launch the network.
The meeting allowed members of the group, many of whom had not met before, to meet, discuss their work and where they saw the network going.
Mr Emmerson said the artists now had a greater knowledge of each other's work.
''We all have different skills so we can do together what we can't do separately.''
The art school exhibition was an example of that, with different artists taking responsibility for aspects such as design and catalogues.
The residency also allowed the artists to not only work together, but also to socialise together.
''It's easier now we have eyeballed each other,''artist Chris McBride, of Auckland, said.
The news was such a broad idea, a concept people had different perspectives on, he said.
''How the news gets out there in an honest way with integrity. For example the TPPA (Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement). The news media has not done a good job tackling that issue.''
He believed it was important artists addressed those sorts of issues. As American playwright and author James Baldwin talked about, it was the artist's duty to create a dialogue and induce discussions about issues society was facing, he said.
''We're asking questions. It is what we are attempting to say here with this [the exhibition] to help people start to think.''
Fellow Auckland artist Karol Wilczynska, from AUT, said all the artists involved in the network had very different practices.
''It's about disruption. How we think about topics that are current or totally unresolved.''
With the gathering taking place at the art school, the artists were able to interact with students and vice versa.
A group of second-year students interviewed the artists to create a exhibition catalogue and learn more about being a professional artist.
Another of the artists, Ms Ahkit, held a workshop for students.
Mr McBride said a student had asked a great question about how he stopped being overwhelmed by all the bad things happening that he translated into his work.
''Each of us has different ways of dealing with that. For me it's the sea and wind. Everybody needs a way of distancing themselves from the fraught nature of the world we live in.''
Mr McBride said his work looked at issues such as surveillance and issues with the GSB, refugees and protest and identity politics.
Mr Emmerson's work also tackled the refugee issue, with one being a memorial to the two gay Iranian men who were escaping on false passports when their Malaysian Airlines plane went missing.
Dr Harding, of RMIT Melbourne, said his work reflected his interest in what is news and what is not and how that was affected by whether ''news'' was paid for or free to air.
Ms Wilczynska's work centred on the decisions made by public figures that people would have to pay for in the generations to come.
