In This Issue: Talanoa I Measina 01 Graffiti: Paste Ups 02 News, Events & Workshops 02 at the Galleries 03 the Den: New
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Issue 25 Exhibitions Ōtautahi www.artbeat.org.nz February 2021 Galleries Christchurch Studios Waitaha Street Art Canterbury Art in Public Places ARTBEAT In this issue: Talanoa I Measina 01 Graffiti: Paste Ups 02 News, Events & Workshops 02 At the Galleries 03 The Den: New Artist-Run Initiative 05 Discover Map 06 Reviews 08 Talanoa I Measina – Sharing our Stories It is a living room modelled on a home in Ōtau- flamboyant version of real life’, but it is also the tahi Christchurch that places Pacific culture reality with the numerous family photographs centre stage. Curated by artist and Pasifika and leis hanging over the frames. ‘They might Librarian in charge of Pacific programming put plastic mats or fine mats down to protect and collections in Tūranga, Nina Oberg the floor and the exhibition is about getting as Humphries’ assemblage of photographs, much in as possible.’ films, books, quilts, floor mats and more, ‘Education and any kind of achieve- make up the immersive installation,Talanoa ment are always celebrated in the Pasifika I Measina - Sharing our Stories , a platform community. It doesn’t matter how small it → to celebrate Pacific culture and its achieve- is. It might be that you get a certificate from Talanoa I Mea- sina – Sharing ments and presence in Ōtautahi. preschool or have a graduation ceremony, our Stories, The exhibition has its origins in 2018 when any form of achievement is celebrated and installation the Library's Pacific Staff network Va Pasifika people are proud.’ photograph. put forward an exhibition to celebrate Ōtau- Since Talanoa I Measina opened in Photograph: Nina Oberg tahi’s Pacific community. Oberg, a member November 2020, the interest from churches Humphries of the collective, wanted to emphasise the and youth groups has escalated and the importance of archiving Pasifika histories photographs and objects continue to arrive. →→ Talanoa I Mea- and the group requested photographs from ‘We have been getting many people almost sina – Sharing the local Pasifika community for the digital every week saying, “I want to put my grand- our Stories, Discovery Wall in Tūranga’s foyer. Oberg parent on the wall.” We want people to come installation put out a call, asking the public to bring their in and add to the stories, and we are still photograph, includes Jan- photographs to become part of the discovery sitting down with them and going through the hai Te Ratana’s wall but she was not really getting any from the process to get as many images as possible Women's Rugby Pasifika or multi-cultural communities. into our digital heritage repository.’ World Cup 2006 jersey She maintains that the problem was We were also given a number of home and a painting essentially about who uses libraries or see videos, which are really cool because they of rugby player themselves in those spaces, as well as the range from White Sunday (a national holiday Tala Kele, from former Warners idea of archiving history, as Pacific cultures in Samoa) to performances and fundraisers. Hotel in Cathe- have oral traditions. ‘We went and asked We also have beautiful ones given to us by dral Square, The Tala people and at first we didn’t get a lot of images. Tamapua Pera, a Cook Islander, where she titled Kele Corner. In fact, we only had two people come into the runs a Tivaevae workshop and talks about its Photograph: library to give us an image each. Fortunately, history, how to make all its different segments. Nina Oberg for us, we then had lockdown, so people were That is not something you can get from a book. Humphries at home going through their photographs and We see these as special and very important we went through our own networks to get as resources and we hope to make them more many as possible. We really wanted the room accessible. It is information that wasn’t here - to celebrate our people, those that have had a but also isn’t [until now] found anywhere.’ real impact on the community. You can see on Talanoa I Measina is also an idea about the wall their listed achievements; everybody how an exhibition can make important has a Queen's Service Medal or some kind of community connections with visitors. Oberg their love for Elvis.’ with the library and what would you like to recognition.’ asks; ‘What would it look like if it was a Fili- A tourist souvenir depicting a traditional see?’ Oberg singles out photographs of those pino kitchen and there was a dining table? The home in Samoa is also on display, loaned Oberg is adamant that all communi- that have ‘moved and shaken things’ in Ōtau- exhibition is a good model for engaging with by Oberg and much loved. ‘You find a lot of ties want to see themselves represented in tahi: Pacific Underground, Ladi6 and Scribe different communities and then celebrating things in Pasifika homes that are tourist items public spaces. ‘We have a place here and we and influential community leaders such as and giving them a public place, reinforcing and it reminds them of home. You belong to have a community and our numbers are only Tufuga Lagatule (1938 – 2016) who spent belonging in our city’ this other place but you don’t necessarily growing. In the last five years we have gone seventeen years as the Pacific representative Talanoa I Measina’s themes and subjects need to be there.’ from 11,000 Pacific people to nearly 20,000 on the District Parole Board and held office encompasses Christianity, rugby league, ‘The cushions in the exhibitions are made in Ōtautahi. So what does the next five years as an elder of the New Zealand Presbyte- tourist memorabilia and quilt making. ‘We in China but are based on Cook Islands Tivae- look like? No matter what migrant commu- rian Pacific Island Council. He was made an asked people for religious items, paintings vae. In Samoa you weave mats but we don’t nity you come from, we have all moved to Officer of the NZ Order of Merit in 2008. And and prayers and books. Religion and Chris- have the materials here [in Aotearoa]. The Aotearoa in the hopes of better lives, educa- Lemalie Tuia, nee Siataga (1927 – 1996) who tianity is very important to Pacific peoples. mats from China serve that purpose. They tion for our families and opportunities for arrived in New Zealand from Samoa in 1950, Church is life, so we have got our “Last are bright, colourful, and relatively inexpen- employment. This is a reality in Christchurch settling in Christchurch in 1955. She was a Supper” as well and we have a Bible.’ sive. Less people in the Islands learn how to and as our Pacific population grows, so do our founding member of St Paul's Trinity Pacific The religious statues are in close proxim- weave mats these days, it is time consuming multicultural communities. Our public places Presbyterian Church and a tireless Polyne- ity to an album cover of Elvis Presley. ‘Pacific and people just don’t have as much time.’ and our civic spaces need to reflect that.’ sian social worker and councillor, as well as people have a real affinity for country music Talanoa I Measina extends its invitation a community support teacher and ‘fearless and storytelling. So naturally, Elvis is popular. to all visitors. ‘People come in here and they Talanoa I Measina – Sharing our Stories leader and advocate for all Polynesian and I have a group of fifteen Samoan Matua that may just sit and read and they have also been Te Pito Huarewa / Southbase Gallery, Tūranga, Pacific people to succeed.’ come in every week. They made all the leis in having meetings in here. We had a consulta- 60 Cathedral Square, Oberg describes the recreation of the the exhibition located above the family photo- tion a few years ago with our Pacific commu- 12 November 2020 to 28 February 2021. Pasifika living room in the exhibition as ‘a graphs and they all had stories to tell about nity and asked how do you want to interact Artbeat 01 Paste Ups writer Reuben Woods It started with pencils, cartoon characters and spoons, but soon there were gnomes, sandwiches and retro-woollen cardigans, even Icelandic pop star Björk arrived. This motley collection has been steadily taking over Christchurch walls for several months, gathering in visible locations and capturing the attention of the passing audience. Paste ups by Slap City artists have added a fun new element to the city’s urban art scene. Slap City, established by Lyttel- ton-based artist Teeth Like Screwdrivers, began as a monthly sticker making and swapping event but has since become something more adventurous, as its eclec- tic members have taken to the streets with posters and buckets of paste. Their cacoph- onous urban additions have become ubiqui- tous around the central city, representing an interesting lineage within street art culture as they fill cinder block walls and wooden hoardings with recognisable but always unique compositions. Paste ups are a specific, yet broadly defined element of post-graffiti street art derived from historical instances of urban postering, while also offering both tactical and thematic possibilities. Paste ups are simply works on paper applied to urban ↑ artist JR. They are also viewed by some of experience among practitioners, serv- for attention, playing off each other in shouts A collection surfaces using a variety of adhesives, of paste ups as less aggressive and vandalistic due to ing as a perfect gateway for those seeking and whispers as the viewer scans across the although traditionally home-made wheat featuring their shorter legacy and the absence of the a creative outlet.