Te Papa is deeply saddened by the death yesterday of Ralph Hotere – one of the country’s greatest artists. Our thoughts go out to his family, his friends, and the arts community. Ralph once commented that ‘There are few things I can say about my work that are better thanRead more
Plants can grow in what appear to be the strangest places. This can be frustrating for property owners (e.g., grass in the gutter; footpaths cracked by pohutukawa roots). But our view of plants is often from our own animal-centric perspective; unlike our zoological kin, an individual plant doesn’t have theRead more
Ever wondered how different people’s surnames end up as part of the scientific names given to plants and animals? It is considered very bad form to name a new species that you describe after yourself, but someone else might do it for you as a mark of respect. That isRead more
In 1978 contemporary New Zealand artist Barry Thomas undertook a public art project in inner city Wellington. Utilising a vacant lot on the corner of Willis and Manners Streets, the artist and his friends cut through a wire perimeter fence, delivered a truckload of top soil to the site andRead more
Te Papa has a collection of nearly 4,000 glass plate and film negatives taken by the Wellington photography studio Berry & Co. The studio was founded by William Berry in 1897, and operated in Cuba St until 1931. The negatives are mainly portraits – of families, children, men and women,Read more
One of the most generous ways museums acquire items for their collections is from individuals donating things they have made for the benefit of others. This is one way that unique material becomes available to the public and especially to researchers. It is in this spirit that David Carson-Parker, whoRead more
Two weeks ago I was in Shanghai for the opening of the exhibition Meridian Lines: Contemporary Art from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa at the China Art Museum with artist Yuk King Tan and Wen Powles, Te Papa’s International Strategy Advisor. The China Art Museum is the newRead more
Te Papa’s latest art exhibition, Angels & Aristocrats, opens on the 20th October in the Level 5 galleries. The exhibition draws on a number of collections from around New Zealand including artworks from Te Papa’s collection which you will see on display. Some of these paintings required attention in the conservation lab beforeRead more
In the recent death of Don Binney New Zealand art has lost a major contributor to its diverse tradition of landscape painting. Binney began painting his stylized images of birds in the landscape in the early 1960s. These unique and startling images quickly established his reputation. The ‘oversized’ birds combinedRead more
We are saddened to hear that contemporary New Zealand artist Don Binney has passed away. Our thoughts are with Don’s family and friends.Read more
If you live in the Wellington region then I really hope you’ll come to Te Papa and visit Michael Parekowhai’s On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer, which is on show on Level 5 until 23 September 2012. Rather than describing my own experience of these works, I thought I’d share withRead more
Over a decade ago Jim Allen’s carved Christ figure was stolen from John Scott’s architectural icon, the Futuna Chapel in Wellington. Its whereabouts remained a mystery until it was recovered from an abandoned Taranaki farm last week. The New Zealand Police returned the Christ figure to The Friends of FutunaRead more
“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 takenRead more
Wi Tako Ngatata ME023859; Writing Compendium [presented to Wi Tako Ngatata] This writing slope belonged to Wi Tako Ngātata, one of Wellington’s most influential tribal leaders during the early colonial period. It commemorates his appointment to the New Zealand Legislative Council. Wi Tako (with Mokena Kohere, Ngāti Porou) was the first Māori toRead more
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 aRead more
