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  Exhibitions

Sulu ni vakamau. A 21st century wedding dress.                      Gata Vakaviti. A large masi used as a backdrop for                                  weddings and funerals (Detail).                               Preparing the masi tree bark for masi cloth.                            Printing with templates on to masi cloth.

FIJI MASI - Cloth of the Gods 23 May - 30 August Masi is the Fijian name for what is better known throughout the world as barkcloth or tapa. No less than 20 beautiful examples of masi make up the central focus of this exhibition. The making of masi and the associated masi kesa (the printing of the cloth) has, with few exceptions, always been the privilege of women. These women have taken this ancient art form of making, decorating and printing masi cloth and turned it into a highly sophisticated art which is attracting attention from connoisseurs and art lovers around the world. While remaining true to the ethos of masi, they manage to bridge the worlds of traditional and contemporary masi. The masi cloth is made from the inner bark of a small slender tree also called masi, and is grown on land considered sacred. It contains the spirit of the land it is grown on and contains the essence of the women who beat the cloth and decorate it. Fijians today often live in a vastly different world than that of past generations and masi continues to be an integral part of every aspect of traditional life in Fiji, as well as contemporary Fijian life and culture. Pieces of finely decorated masi, video footage, clothing and ceremonial garments will be included in the exhibition. Fiji Masi - Cloth of the Gods exhibition curators are Catherine Spicer, co writer of the book Fiji Masi, and John Sullivan, director of Cloth of the Gods, a DVD documentary on masi.                   Fiji Masi, Cloth of the Gods is proudly supported by                                                                                            Rove, masi flag.          The chief Sigadrodro of Nasaudoko. His chiefly status is denoted by             a malo (the long train of masi around his waist and trailing behind him).

  

MANA ISLAND 20 June - 27 September Mana Island has a colourful history that begins with the landing of Kupe nearly a thousand years ago.  The exhibition includes aspects of Maori occupation, whaling, farming, DOC management, natural history and artists' interpretations. Come and land on the shores of Mana Island with us as we explore some story telling featuring the taniwha Te Awarua o Porirua  and play the game 'You Decide' which explores the varied and interesting history of land ownership on the island.  We will take a look at natural history and find out what is unique to Mana Island. Sitting like a table in the sea, Mana Island has been the site of some colourful events of history. Te Rangihaeata, Ngati Toa's fighting chief made his home on the island and built his carved house Kaitangata there. Early whalers had a station on the island and this country's second exported wool clip was taken from Mana to Sydney in 1835. John Bell, the first farmer on the island died, from alcoholism and was buried in a rum cask. A lighthouse was built in 1865 but contributed to several shipwrecks due to mistaken identity so was relocated to Cape Egmont. In more recent times an entire sheep flock had to be destroyed due to an outbreak of scrapies. The exhibition will trace this interesting history through exhibits, photos and paintings, a model and informative text panels.

 


   

Joanna Langford, Beyond Nowhere 2007 - 2009      Peter Madden, The Leaving 2008   Chartwell Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, 2009     Eve Armstrong, Run Off 2007   Chartwell Collection, Auckland Art Gallery, Toi o Tamaki

SECONDLIFE Five Artist projects 27 June - 11 October 2009 The recycling of everyday materials into art is experiencing a resurgence in popularity among artists, but with a fresh contemporary message. Against a backdrop of an overheating planet and rapidly depleting resources, it is hardly surprising that a new generation of artists should create art designed to make their concerns about the environment visible. Eve Armstrong, Judy Darragh, Niki Hastings-McFall, Joanna Langford and Peter Madden respond to the call to conserve resources and live more responsibly, ‘upcycling’ everyday materials and ready-made objects (objets trouvés), giving them a ‘second life’ as works of art. Modern-day alchemists, the artists magically transform the old into the new - creating works of great beauty and imagination from cheap, humble materials. While Eve Armstrong reuses and reconfigures cast-off material within new contexts, the others transform their material through renewal and reinvention. Objects transplanted from the realm of the mundane to that of the aesthetic transcend their everyday purpose. They also carry a subtle political message. By creating art from the detritus of contemporary consumerist culture, artists can reflect their concerns about the negative impact of that culture and emphasise the importance of recycling, while maintaining a sustainable art practice. By extending the life cycle of their materials, they can inspire others to be less wasteful and more creative, without resorting to preaching. Helen Kedgley Senior Curator Contemporary Art Judy Darragh, Plonk 2007 Courtesy of the artist and Two Rooms Gallery     Niki Hastings-McFall, Crucifixion 2009   Collection of the artist

   

The Horns of History.

1839 EXCHANGES Jewellery by Jason Hall 30 May - 9 August 2009 Since 1998 Jason Hall's jewellery has been asking questions about what it means to be Pakeha. 1839 Exchanges, Jewellery by Jason Hall is an exhibition about jewellery, identity and cultural exchange. Most cultures have made use of the amulet where commonly a tooth or a claw is strung up or worn to protect the wearer from harm. Hall's jewellery uses the amulet to talk about the anxieties of being Pakeha. These are ambiguous objects - it is not always clear who is protected by Hall's amulets, or what terrors they are intended to fight off. The exhibition features a series of amulets created for Frederick Edward Manning, an Irishman who arrived in Aotearoa in 1833 and became a trader. Manning was a well known Pakeha Maori who initially advised Maori not to sign the Treaty of Waitangi, later became a land court judge in the 1860's and a member of the European colonial gentry. Turning the Table, 2007