Weaving Pā with Pah
Curated by Erin Sainsbury, Wallace Arts Trust Summer Intern
18 September — 11 November, 2018
Little Gallery
Exhibition opening: Monday 17 September, 6pm
The Pah Homestead harbours a long and challenging history - for hundreds of years the land, once known as Whataroa Pā, was fought for by numerous iwi. In 1844 the land was sold into European hands, splitting its history into a 'before' and 'after'
Weaving Pa with Pah dedicates the physical space to the Māori history, filling it with prints, sculptures, and taonga connected to the surrounding land. The original landscape of Whataroa Pā has been altered so drastically over time that knowledge of its original state has been lost. Instead, this exhibition hopes to capture the essence of what once may have been.
Alongside this physical element is an interactive virtual reality artwork which recreates the exhibition space as it would have been in the early 20th century - likely the bedroom of a schoolmaster at St John's Collegiate School. This recreation is based on detailed accounts and photographs from the time.
Weaving Pa with Pah has been created in consultation with Ngāti Tamaoho and Te Akitai Waiohua, descendants of the eponymous ancestor Poutukeka, who held mana over this land in ancient times. Their generous involvement brings balance to the space. We ask that visitors respect the taonga by removing their shoes before walking on the whāriki.
It is hoped that this exhibition offers a space of quiet reflection and contemplation, both on the past and the present co-existence of Māori and Pākehā in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Image: Erin Sainsbury, still from The Schoolmaster's Bedroom (2017)