Signal Render

Tāmaki Estuary Direct Action Fund

Uxbridge, Auckland, New Zealand, 2025

In 2025, Novak was selected as a judge for the Estuary Art and Ecology Awards at Uxbridge, contemporary art awards centred on ecology. Viewing this appointment as an opportunity to advocate for others, Novak actively engaged with local communities regarding the preservation of the Tāmaki Estuary. The estuary is a vital 15-kilometre waterway rich in history, mangrove forests, and native birdlife, yet it faces significant environmental pressures from urbanisation. Driven by a desire to leverage this platform to provide direct, tangible help, Novak established the Tāmaki Estuary Direct Action Fund. The initiative places a public donation box in the gallery for the duration of the annual exhibition and empowers each year's judge to award the collected funds to local conservation efforts. Demonstrating this commitment to community support, Novak selected the Tāmaki Estuary Protection Society (TEPS) as the fund's inaugural recipient.

Historical Rainbow Publications Project

New Zealand, 2022

In 2022, as part of the Make Visible: Te Whanganui-a-Tara project commissioned by Wellington City Council, Novak identified historic and invalid bans on queer publications. Led by Novak with queer communities, this issue was raised with the New Zealand Classification Office. They emphasised the negative social and mental impacts of holding people to outdated laws and blocking access to queer heritage that is entirely legal today. This advocacy prompted a Ministerial request to reassess materials originally banned by the Indecent Publications Tribunal between 1963 and 1994, a period when homosexuality was largely criminalised. Although sourcing these older materials that were not digitised proved challenging, the Office successfully located and reclassified fifty publications, making all of them accessible. While the proactive search has concluded due to a lack of physical materials, the initiative succeeded in establishing the "process of reconsideration of rainbow publications" for ongoing use. The Office encourages the public to submit any historic banned publications they find for re-evaluation.

Project page with the process of reconsideration of rainbow publications.

Dear Queensland Special Collection

Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Brisbane, Australia, 2022

Developed as an extension of Novak’s contribution to The 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT10), the Dear Queensland special collection was created in close collaboration between Novak, QAGOMA, and local queer communities. Hosted at the QAGOMA Library, this vital archive was formed between February and July 2022 by inviting queer people in Queensland to submit letters and visual responses. These deeply personal accounts explored joys, heartbreaks, and hopes for the future, successfully documenting important and previously untold intersectional histories. By capturing these diverse lived experiences, the collection actively addresses the historical absence of queer voices in public institutions. It champions visibility as a crucial tool to combat the disproportionate mental health struggles faced by queer Australians. Ultimately, the Dear Queensland special collection stands as a permanent, accessible record designed to inspire a more inclusive approach to museum and library archiving.

Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act 2022

New Zealand, 2022

In 2018, Novak’s Unbounded inspired his involvement in co-founding the Conversion Therapy Action Group (CTAG) to advocate for a total ban on conversion practices in New Zealand. CTAG's awareness campaigns successfully influenced the Labour Party to adopt a ban policy in 2020. While progress temporarily stalled, a record-breaking 2021 petition led by Green Party MP Dr. Elizabeth Kerekere rapidly accelerated the movement. This momentum resulted in the introduction of the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill, which was overwhelmingly passed into law in February 2022 after generating an unprecedented level of public engagement with nearly 107,000 submissions.

New Plymouth Rainbow Crossing

New Plymouth, New Zealand, 2020

In 2020, Novak and local queer communities successfully proposed a rainbow crossing in New Plymouth. This initiative was part of Novak’s Therapeutic Agent exhibition at Puke Ariki. The New Plymouth District Council painted the new crossing near the Centre City mall, championing the project to increase the acknowledgment and visibility of local queer people. Research for the exhibition identified that these installations offer much more than just visibility. They were deeply important to local queer communities because they fostered a tangible sense of safety and belonging. By boldly claiming public space, the crossing helped combat historical discrimination and isolation. Local leaders celebrated the installation as a sign of the city evolving beyond its conservative roots. This included Mayor Neil Holdom and Pride Taranaki chair Anneka Carlson, who helped lead the proposal. Together, they noted that the crossing sends a lasting message of acceptance and inclusion to queer communities.

Taranaki Rainbow Archive

Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, New Zealand, 2019

In 2019, Novak’s Sub Rosa highlighted a stark lack of queer representation in local history. Research for the show revealed that indexed queer heritage made up just 0.2% of museum collections in New Zealand, with Puke Ariki holding 0.1%. To meet the challenges this posed, as well as increase the amount of indexed queer heritage, Novak collaborated with local queer communities to formally propose the Taranaki Rainbow Archive to Puke Ariki. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily stalled the museum's capacity to adopt the project. However, Novak was awarded a 2020 Creative New Zealand Arts Grant to maintain its momentum. This funding allowed Novak to commission local queer artists and develop the community-based Therapeutic Agent exhibition. These interventions successfully led to Puke Ariki accessioning and indexing foundational queer objects between 2021 and 2022. Building on this collective groundwork, Taranaki Pride collaborated with the museum to reignite the initiative in 2024. This partnership ultimately culminated in the official launch of the Rainbow Archive Project in 2026.