Tag Archives: piano’s

Lili’s gift

5 September 2012 – 4.17pm
Lili Kraus II, 1946. Frank Hofmann. Gift of the Frank Hofmann Estate, 2010. Te Papa

Lili Kraus II, 1946. Frank Hofmann. Gift of the Frank Hofmann Estate, 2010. Te Papa

“Dear friends, may this beautiful instrument bring you happiness and inspiration. All my love, Lili Kraus, London, Christmas 1959.”

So read the handwritten inscription in the piano Michael Parekowhai obtained for On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer currently on display at Te Papa.

In the museum’s collection there are photographs of Lili taken around 1946/47 by two different photographers – Brian Brake/Spencer Digby Studios and Frank Hofmann.

Portrait of Lili Kraus, circa 1947, Wellington. Brian Brake, Spencer Digby Studios. Spencer Digby / Ronald D Woolf Collection. Gift of Ronald Woolf, 1975. Te Papa

Portrait of Lili Kraus, circa 1947, Wellington. Brian Brake, Spencer Digby Studios. Spencer Digby / Ronald D Woolf Collection. Gift of Ronald Woolf, 1975. Te Papa

Perhaps the piano in these pictures is the same one revamped and giving pleasure and evoking emotion on level 5 at present?

You can find out more about Lili on the Christchurch City Libraries’ blog and Christchchurch Art Gallery blog, and read more about the piano restoration on the NZ Herald site.

By Lissa Mitchell | Posted in Art, Collections Online, Photography | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer

28 August 2012 – 11.28am

Michael Parekowhai’s Venice Biennale exhibition installation at Te Papa

Michael Parekowhai’s Venice Biennale exhibition On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer opened at Te Papa on Friday. The installation looks stunning, clustered in the middle of the space and the sound with the acoustics of the gallery with that high ceiling is wonderful.

The exhibition is only on for a month till September 23 2012, so a short exhibition period. I hope many people come in to experience this installation while it is here.

It is the first time the three major elements of Michael’s installation have been shown in one gallery space – the two black bronze replica piano’s and bulls and He Korero Purakau mo Te Awanui o Te Motu; story of a New Zealand river, 2011, the elaborately carved red ‘Maori piano’ – the playable steinway concert grand.

It is also perhaps the last time for a little while that this installation will be seen together.

By Megan Tamati-Quennell | Posted in Art, Events, Exhibitions, Māori | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (3)
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