Exhibitions
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Touring
If your venue is interested in hosting any of the following touring Dowse exhibitions please contact:
Erin McFarlane
T 04 560 1476
E erin.mcfarlane@huttcity.govt.nz
Currently touring:
Claudia Kogachi: There’s No I In Team
Exhibition info
Friction and fun as mother and daughter compete in a variety of sports, in a series of new portraits by Claudia Kogachi.
There’s No I In Team by Kogachi features a series of new paintings on panel that depict the artist and her mother playing a number of sports – it builds upon a wonderful earlier series in which Kogachi explored the dynamics of family conflict through images of the pair competing in various sporting events set in domestic spaces. Shifting from a sense of conflict to a spirit of friendly competition with her mother, Kogachi's new works use the lens of portraiture to further explore the complex and tender psychological relationship between mothers and daughters, rendered cartoon-like in delightfully awkward angles and inviting bright colours.
There’s No I In Team also turns Kogachi’s art itself into a team sport, inviting visitors to colour in her hand-painted wall mural and to watch the action from ball-shaped furniture.
“These paintings certainly don’t resemble the blissful, airbrushed family portraits that come in store-bought picture frames. Instead, the artist and her mom are seen as deliciously awkward and wonky blue figures playing a range of popular sports. Relatable and very funny, the paintings are an insightful psychological portrait of the mother-daughter relationship—warts and all.”
— DR CHELSEA NICHOLS
SENIOR CURATOR, THE DOWSE ART MUSEUM
[COMING SOON: This exhibition will be available for touring soon. Please get in touch if you’d like to know more]
Nikau Hindin: Kōkōrangi ki Kōkōwai
Exhibition info
Kōkōrangi ki Kōkōwai presents a significant body of work by Nikau Hindin (Ngai Tūpoto, Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi), showcasing her knowledge and commitment to Toi Māori, specifically in aute and documenting the movement of celestial bodies.
Barkcloth, known as siapo in Sāmoa, hiapo in Niue, kapa in Hawai’i, masi in Fiji, ngatu in Tonga and aute in Aotearoa, is prevalent throughout Moana Oceania. Believed to be lost in Aotearoa since the mid-nineteenth century, the aute plant was brought here along with kūmara, taro and whau, and was worked into cloth for adornment, manu aute and to wrap taonga. With a cooler climate and changes to available resources in the 1840s, the plant and practice slowly receded from our shores. The lasting remnants of the practice found through the presence of aute in te reo Māori and the intricately worked patu aute, found in swamps throughout Aotearoa, are now held by various museums across the country.
Harvesting, stripping, beating and soaking the fibres into a cloth-like material, Hindin inscribes the aute with patterns derived from tukutuku and tāniko, using kōkōwai and ngārahu. Kōkōrangi ki Kōkōwai documents the artist’s journey in understanding Maramataka and traditional celestial navigation practices, tracing and recording the movements of stars and the moon across the sky. The works in this exhibition are as much a documentation of Maramataka as they are a celebration of it, each star a tohu of a new cycle with the moon signalling a new period of environmental change, bringing growth or introspection as well as guiding harvesting and planting patterns.
“Our tamariki loved creating star maps and exploring the galleries together. They discovered the maramataka and what tohu they could look for in our environment to guide them. Using kōkōwai and discovering new processes Nikau Hindin: Kōkōrangi ki Kōkōwai is full of rich learning opportunities for learners of all ages. “
— CAT BENNETT
LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, THE DOWSE ART MUSEUM
Maiangi Waitai: Ātea-ā-rangi—Interstellar
Exhibition info
Bursting with bright colours, magical symbols and cross-cultural characters, Maiangi Waitai’s art practice is all about exploring the mysteries of the universe. Her newest project commissioned by The Dowse is now available for tour.
In Ātea-ā-rangi—Interstellar, Maiangi re-imagines oral history traditions related to the Matariki constellation. Creating an action figure character for each star, complete with its own packaging, she shows us a unique way to consider some of the ideas celebrated in Aotearoa New Zealand during the Māori New Year.
In her personal interpretation, Maiangi has made ten stars: eight siblings (including Waitī and Waitā, represented as conjoined twins) and their parents Matariki and Rehua. Each action figure has an accessory that gives it special powers, which are based on traditional characteristics of the star it represents. Hiwa-i-te-rangi for example, who is the guardian of hopes and dreams, is recreated as a bird woman. She comes with ‘Matariki chips’ and ‘Memory away paste’, which make our negative thoughts about the past or future disappear, to help us achieve our goals.
A fun, all-encompassing experience for the whole whānau, this vibrant exhibition encourages viewers to practice confidence, empowerment, nurturing each other, generosity, gratitude, protection of our culture and environment, working together and having a positive attitude!
“Ātea-ā-rangi—Interstellar brought play, fun and colour to The Dowse and celebrated learners’ natural curiosity. During the Matariki period students created Matariki superhero toys and packaging. We discovered the super powers and accessories we would need to be kaitiaki of our environment and cultural taonga.”
— CAT BENNETT
LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, THE DOWSE ART MUSEUM