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The Gods of Gaming are coming to Te Papa

14 August 2012 – 9.56am
World of Warcraft © Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

World of Warcraft © Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Te Papa is delighted to announce its summer blockbuster exhibition, Game Masters, opening 15 December 2012. 

Featuring over 120 playable games across arcade, consoles, and PC, including Donkey Kong, The Sims, The Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, and not forgetting mobile games such as Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja;this exhibition has games suitable for all ages. 

The exhibition profiles a selection of the world’s most influential videogame designers, and the iconic games developments of the past 40 years. Videogame creatives are often little known outside of their field, and the exhibition will provide a platform for acknowledging the huge individual creative contributions they have made to the industry. 

International videogame designers whose work will be profiled include Tetsuya Mizuguchi with Child of Eden, Chris Metzen with World of Warcraft, and Toru IIwatani, the father of Pac-man.

Pre-sale exhibition tickets, including for the opening weekend, will be sold exclusively through Visa for a limited time from 15 October. Visa cardholders will also have the opportunity to attend an hour-long preview on Friday 14 December. Numbers are limited.

Te Papa is New Zealand’s exclusive venue for the exhibition which has been developed by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne.

Game Masters
15 December 2012 – 28 April 2013
Visa Platinum Gallery, Level 4, Te Papa
Exhibition charges apply.
www.tepapa.govt.nz/gamemasters

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Red Piano and Bronze Bulls coming to Wellington

30 July 2012 – 10.26am

Michael Parekowhai, He Kōrero Pūrākau mo te Awanui o Te Motu: story of a New Zealand river, 2011. Photograph by John Collie, courtesy of Christchurch Art Gallery, Te Puna o Waiwhetu. Te Papa (TMP013506)

After a successful season at the Venice Biennale, in Paris and Christchurch, Michael Parekowhai’s On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer will make its final stop at the national museum, Te Papa. Opening Saturday 25 August, a specially reconfigured installation will be shown in a single gallery space for four weeks and provides an exciting opportunity to view Parekowhai’s Venice exhibition.

The centerpiece of the installation is an ornately carved Steinway concert grand piano. Painted a vibrant red and titled He Korero Purakau mo te Awanui o te Motu: story of a New Zealand river, it is Te Papa’s latest major acquisition of contemporary art.

Standing alongside He Korero Purakau mo te Awanui o te Motu: story of a New Zealand river  are two black bronze replica pianos complete with two bulls, one standing and one sitting, as well as five bronze olive tree saplings.

Over the four weeks He Korero Purakau mo te Awanui o te Motu: story of a New Zealand river will be performed by top musicians including Gareth Farr, Robert Wiremu and Tama Waipara, and at 12.30pm daily by pianists selected to play this unique piano when it was exhibited in Venice.

In the adjacent galleries Te Papa presents new acquisitions of important works by Jim Allen and Colin McCahon, including McCahon’s painting Koru 1, 2, 3 (1965).

“These three exhibitions provide a wonderful opportunity to engage with some of the most significant examples of contemporary New Zealand art from the mid-1960s through to the present day”, says Sarah Farrar, Acting Senior Curator Art at Te Papa. “It will be an unforgettable one month programme.”

Te Papa would like to acknowledge the support of the Friends of Te Papa, Ernst & Young, Creative New Zealand, and the Wellington City Council.

25 August – 23 September 2012
Level 5, Te Papa
Free entry

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New exhibition of ceramics, glass and metalwork opens this Saturday

18 July 2012 – 10.42am

Te Papa shares the story of modern design through the collection of ceramics, glass and metalwork gifted by Wellingtonian Walter Cook. Featuring selected objects, the new exhibition, Walter Cook: a collector’s quest opens this Saturday on Level 6.

Flower dish, about 1906. WMF, Germany. Te Papa

Flower dish, about 1906. WMF, Germany. Te Papa

Walter Cook’s first purchase initiated him into what he called ‘the addictive habit and thrill of hunting quarry in second-hand shops’. During the years between 1961 and about 1991, he built up a collection which reflects the second hand and antique market in Wellington that is now of national importance.

“The collection was put together in the days before online sales and provides a clear picture of the antique dealers’ arena specifically in Wellington during that time.” says Justine Olsen, Decorative Arts and Design Curator at Te Papa. Many of these dealerships have since closed but can still be remembered by some Wellingtonians.

Walter Cook was a passionate, well read collector who sought out objects with broad ranging international connections. Pieces in the collection, which feature in the exhibition range from the Arts and Crafts movement ceramics to German art-nouveau pewter and Scandinavian modern design.

Dish. 1883. Designed by William De Morgan, England. Te Papa

Dish. 1883. Designed by William De Morgan, England. Te Papa

A wonderful example of the Arts and Crafts movement is a De Morgan ceramic dish from 1883, which features a striking hand-painted red design. Over the years, Walter developed quite the discerning eye and managed to find a Linthorpe Pottery jug by industrial designer, Christopher Dresser while in a junk shop in Auckland.

Walter and his wife Adriann gifted the collection to Te Papa in 1992 and this exhibition marks the 20th anniversary of the gift.

Read more and explore the objects in this exhibition

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Thank you Wellington

14 June 2012 – 3.46pm

This afternoon, Wellington City Councillors voted to reinstate funding Te Papa at $2.25 million per annum. Initially, Wellington City Council draft long term plan had proposed a reduction in funding from $2.25 million to $1 million per year for the next 10 years.

Te Papa Chief Executive, Michael Houlihan would like to thank all Wellingtonians who provided submissions in support of Te Papa.

“Thanks to everyone who wrote, submissions, letters and, post it notes. Your feedback has given us a deeper understanding of how visitors see and use Te Papa. Its great to have so many people saying that they like what we do and how much they value the contribution Te Papa makes to Wellington City as a great place to live and work.”

“We are looking forward to working even more closely with Wellington City Council as both a strategic partner and key contributor to the vibrancy of this great city.”

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Delighted to have two finalists in New Zealand Post Book Awards

13 June 2012 – 2.41pm

Te Papa Press, New Zealand’s unique museum publisher, are delighted to advise that two of its books are finalists in the prestigious annual New Zealand Post Book Awards.

The finalists, announced last week, were selected from 160 entries and are described by the judges as “diverse and exciting”.

Whatu Kākahu: Māori Cloaks edited by Awhina Tamarapa and New Zealand Film: An Illustrated History, edited by Diane Pivac, Frank Stark, Lawrence McDonald and published in association with The Film Archive, are both finalists in the Illustrated Non-fiction category of the awards.

According to the finalist announcement the judges were unanimous in their selection of  the titles and Te Papa Press publisher Claire Murdoch is thrilled that both books are being recognised in this way.

“Awards like this are a welcome acknowledgement of the great care and professional pride our team takes in creating books about Aotearoa’s art, culture and natural world. An immense amount of dedicated scholarship went into the writing and editing of both books, and because they’re also heavily illustrated, the efforts of the photography and design teams were similarly substantial. I’d like to extend congratulations and hearty thanks to all who worked on these beautiful books, and to all who work closely with Te Papa Press.”

The New Zealand Post Book Awards will be announced at an evening ceremony on Wednesday 1st August. Readers are invited to vote for their favourite through the People’s Choice Award here: www.nzpostbookawards.co.nz

Visitors to Te Papa will also be able to find elements from Whatu Kākahu: Māori Cloaks featuring in the exhibition Kahu Ora Living Cloaks which opens at the museum this week. Entry to this exhibition is free. 

Posted in Museums, News, Te Papa Press | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Wellington – There is still time to support Te Papa

17 May 2012 – 10.44am

5pm tomorrow, Friday 18 May, is the deadline for Wellington City Council to receive your written submissions on the Draft Long Term plan. It is in this plan that Wellington City Council proposes to cut our funding by $1.25 million, to $1 million for the next 10 years.

If you were meaning to send in a written submission but haven’t gotten round to it yet, there is still time! The Wellington City Council have an has an interactive website to make an official submissions online.

The main points to include are:

-          the WCC should maintain Te Papa’s funding at $2.25 million per year, funding should not be decreased
-          Wellington should support Te Papa as a major visitor attraction for the city that draws in tourists
-          Te Papa sustains employment equivalent to almost 1,500 Wellington city jobs annually.

Another option is to email all councillors at once via councillors@wcc.govt.nz or contact them individually via the Wellington City Council website

Remember the deadline for official submissions is this Friday 18 May at 5pm; however, councillors will only be making their decision on 27 June, so we encourage you to keep talking to them over the next month.

We would like to thank everyone who came in to support Te Papa by sticking up a post-it note on our Save Our Services boards and writing submissions while in Te Papa.  We will be delivering these to the Wellington City Council on your behalf.

Posted in Museums, News | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (2)

Will you be Te Papa’s 20 millionth visitor?

15 May 2012 – 11.32am


During the month of May, we are expecting to reach the milestone of 20 million visitors since opening in 1998. We are so excited that our partners and sponsors want to celebrate this with us, and have put together a great prize package for our 20 millionth visitor.
The prize will be presented as they walk through the door, so make sure you come and visit Te Papa  during the month of May because it could be you!

The prize package includes:

  • TelstraClear vouchers to the value of $600 (inclusive of GST) that can be applied to any charges billed to a TelstraClear account.
  • HP Photosmart 7510 e-All-in-One Printer
  • Dinner at Monsoon Poon
  • A weekend at Rydges Wellington
  • Visa pressie card
  • Te Papa Fun Pack, including Te Papa Press books, Te Papa Store Vouchers and a Friends of Te Papa Membership
  • OurSpace Rides, Free tickets for a year to Platinum Visa Gallery exhibitions and a Back of House Tour of your choice

As with every competition, there are a few Terms and Conditions

  1. The 20 millionth person to walk through the main door of Te Papa as judged by the Te Papa visitor research team will be deemed the winner.
  2. The result is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  3. This competition is not open to Te Papa staff, contractors, or their immediate families.
  4. Winners must be available for publicity purposes. Winners grant Te Papa permission to use their names, characters, photographs, voices and likeness in connection with this promotion and for future promotion and marketing purposes and waive any claims to royalty, right or remuneration for such use.
  5. Parental permission must be given if the winner is under 18.
  6. Prizes are not transferable for cash.
  7. Te Papa will provide the prize. Te Papa reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value at any time.
  8. By accepting the prize, the prize winner accepts the terms and conditions stated above.
Posted in Events, Kids, News | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt gifted to Te Papa

30 April 2012 – 3.00pm

Block 4 of the New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt

The New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt and associated archive has been gifted to Te Papa, and is now housed in the museum for posterity.  The Quilt is a profound and significant taonga – representing the many people who died of AIDS in New Zealand during the devastating epidemic in the 1980s and 90s.

The Quilt is made up of 16 blocks (measuring about 4 x 4 metres) – each block is made up of 8 panels – each panel represents a person who died of AIDS.  They were made by family members, partners, friends, and are moving testaments to their love and support.  Many of the panels are over 20 years old, but their power of remembrance, love and grief is just as strong as when they were first created.

And they’re powerful regardless of how they’ve been made.  You would expect them to be beautifully made by experienced sewers, but they were sometimes quite simply put together with whatever materials were at hand – rubber foam, paint, photographs, glue, glitter – even soft toys have been attached to the panels.  In the particular Quilt block pictured here, there is a three-dimensional camera in the bottom left panel made from foam rubber, vinyl and plastic.  Not one of your normal quilting methods!  But this Quilt block is particularly special because it includes the first panel to be made in New Zealand – for Peter Cuthbert who died in 1988, an early New Zealand victim of AIDS.

The Quilt was farewelled from Auckland on Sunday 29 April in a beautiful ceremony at St Matthew-in-the-City. Te Papa was represented by myself as the curator, Sara Guthrie (Collection Manager), and Dame Claudia Orange, who spoke movingly about Te Papa’s care and respect for the Quilt.

This Thursday, Te Papa will formally welcome the New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt onto its Marae.  We will display two blocks to the public from 10am to 2pm, and Michael Bancroft, Guardian of the Quilt, will give a talk into the fascinating history behind our Quilt and Quilt projects around the world (12.15pm on the Marae).

Posted on behalf of Stephanie Gibson, Curator History at Te Papa

Posted in Events, History, Museums, News | Comments (3)

Brian Brake: Lens on the World nominated in the 2011 New Zealand Post Book Awards

7 June 2011 – 12.00pm

Spirits are high at Te Papa Press as our publication Brian Brake: Lens on the World, was nominated in the illustrated non-fiction category of the 2011 New Zealand Post Book Awards. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at Wellington’s Town Hall on Wednesday 27 July 2011.

View the full list of 2011 finalist

Te Papa Press sends hearty congratulations to Athol McCredie, Curator Photography, who edited the book, and to the specialist writers whose contributions offer such depth.

This long-overdue critical examination and evaluation of the work of Brian Brake,New Zealand’s best-known photographer, was published in conjunction with a major retrospective exhibition celebrating Brake’s work. It brings together over 300 stunning photographic reproductions and six all-new essays.

The New Zealand Post judges are not the only ones looking twice at Brian Brake: Lens on the World:

This is a remarkable book, beautifully produced and meticulously researched to give a careful and fair portrait of the one landmark international photographer this country produced in the 20th century, Brian Brake. Te Papa’s photography curator Athol McCredie is to be congratulated on his careful editorial work and a very good choice of contributors.

…worthy of a craftsman photographer who cared and followed through the nuts-and-bolts side of getting his work to fully express his meaning. —  Max Oettli, New Zealand Books Autumn 2011

This lavishly illustrated book, accompanying a major retrospective of Brake’s work at Te Papa, is hard to put down —  Artnews New Zealand December 2010

a clear-eyed and magisterial tome — HOME New Zealand January 2011

Editor’s choice. This beautiful book takes the reader around the world and home again, taking in landscapes, people and objects through the discerning of Brake and critical essays by artists, photographers and curators. —  Air New Zealand Kia Ora magazine December 2010

This is a luscious-looking tome–great design and fantastic reproductions. — Andy Palmer, The Lumière Reader 30 November 2010

With its knowledgeable essays by specialist writers, Brian Brake: Lens on the World is a fine record of a fine photographer’s achievements. —  Architecture New Zealandeditor John Walsh, Prodesign No. 109 November 2010

Very grunty critical analysis written in a very accessible way. It does give a wonderful pathway into the work. Terrific. — Paul Diamond, Interviewed on Radio New Zealand’s Nine to Noon, 9 November 2010

The New Zealand Post book awards were formerly called the Montana New Zealand book awards and Te Papa Press books have won three of the last four Montana Medal for Non-Fiction awards – the most prestigious award for non-fiction in NZ. Those lucky winners were:

2006:Pohutukawa and Rata: New Zealand’s Ironhearted Trees by Philip Simpson
2007:Eagle’s Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand by Audrey Eagle
2009:Rita Angus: An Artist’s Life by Jill Trevelyan

Other Montana-shortlisted Te Papa Press titles have included the following:
2003:Pacific Art Niu Sila by Sean Mallon and Fuli Pereira
2005:Icons Nga Taonga: From the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
2005:Toss Woollaston: A Life in Letters by Jill Trevelyan
2006:Extinct Birds of New Zealand by Alan Tennyson and Paul Martinson
2006:An Illustrated Guide to New Zealand Hebes by Alison Kellow and Michael Bayly
2010: Art at Te Papa by William McAloon

Best of luck Athol!

Posted in Art, Photography, Te Papa Press | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Te Papa expresses its sympathy for the people of Christchurch

25 February 2011 – 2.46pm

Tīkoki ana te waka o Aoraki!
Ko Rūaumoko e ngunguru nei!
He parekura! He parekura! He parekura e!

Ko te motu whānui tonu kua pani.
Kei te hunga kua riro ki te pō, moe mai rā.
Kei ngā makorea, he aha rā he kōrero mō koutou?

Ko te Atua hei whakawhirinakitanga atu mō koutou
hei aupehi i te mamae, ā ngākau, ā wairua.
Kia piki te ora, piki te kaha ki a koutou katoa.

The canoe of Aoraki rocks!
It is Rūaumoko, earth shaker, rumbling!
Causing great calamity! 

The nation mourns.
To those who’ve breathed their last breath,
Rest in peace.

To the survivors, what words can we possibly say?
Let the Creator be your support in this time of pain.
Be strong, get well soon.

Like many others throughout New Zealand, staff at Te Papa have close connections through family, friends and colleagues in Christchurch. We have all watched in horror at the devastation that has taken place because of the earthquake on 22 February.

Christchurch Memorial Display, Wellington Foyer, Te Papa

Christchurch Memorial Display in the Wellington Foyer, Te Papa

In the Wellington Foyer, Level 2 of the Museum there is now a place for staff and members of the public to express their condolences. On display is a small boulder of pounamu, symbolising aroha – love and support – for the earthquake victims, their families and friends. It has a tangible connection with the South Island – Te Wai Pounamu – as it was sourced from the Arahura River, Westland. This variety of pounamu is known as kawakawa – as are the leaves of mourning placed on the case in which it sits.

If you would like to help with the Christchurch Quake Appeal, you can do so through the Red Cross, Mayoral Fund and Salvation Army to name a few. There is also a donations box at Te Papa. All donations will be passed on to the emergency services.

Posted in Christchurch earthquake, Disasters | Tagged | Comments (5)
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