Nelson's art lovers can stamp their approval on every piece of a new Facebook-inspired exhibition, just as long as they do not "poke" the artwork too.

This week is Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology's LIKE Week, held at the polytechnic's Arts and Media building.

One hundred pieces of artwork are displayed throughout the building, including paintings, sculptures, and video and digital installations.

NMIT students are inviting visitors to be the judges in the inaugural competition.

Visitors will be given three small stickers when they arrive at the gallery, these are to be placed next to the works they enjoy, a reference to the "Like" button on the social-media network Facebook, used to indicate approval of a post.

Music students will also perform at lunchtime today and tomorrow.

At 12pm on Thursday the five pieces with the most "likes" will be photographed and uploaded to the polytechnic's Facebook page for web-users to "like".

Visual arts and design student Carol Alloway said the format was an opportunity for students to experience what it was like to hold an exhibition, and a nice way to see what other students were working on.

Her work was a project she had worked on earlier in the year, ‘Cowbusters', a burger made from fabrics and wool.

The project was based on a news story she had read about so-called "pink-slime" - a processed beef project used in the United States - and the planned expansion of the New Zealand cow population and its possible effect on global warming.

She realised the two ideas could be represented by a burger bun.

Creative Industries programme area leader David James said the LIKE Week project was a way of bringing the interactive, virtual fun of the social-network back into the real world.

The experience was valuable for the students, many of whom had not exbibited their work before, he said.

"It's an opportunity for our students to develop that culture here of sharing, talking and discussing."

- © Fairfax NZ News