Whales: Giants of the Deep exhibition centre stage in New York
Te Papa’s Whales exhibition is about to open at one of the world’s most prestigious venues, the American Museum of Natural History, in New York. The exhibition has been touring the world since 2008 and has already been seen by more than a million people in North America. The AmericanRead more
Ralph Hotere, 1931-2013
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
This way up – Kura Pounamu to Beijing
Kura Pounamu is Te Papa’s first exhibition of Maori Taonga in China since the National Museum sent Maori artifacts in 1978. The mutual appreciation of ‘green stone’ jadite (jade) and nephrite (pounamu) provided an ideal platform for re-establishing a cultural exchange. The exhibition required ease of installation and minimal objectRead more
‘We are the same-same.’ Rapa Nui visitors to Te Papa
This past Saturday (1 December 2012), we had a special request from a group of visitors who were going to be in Wellington for a weekend. They wished to come in and talk to some of the curators and see the collection. This is relatively common but what was slightlyRead more
M is for mystery: M initial in the waistband of Te Papa’s piupiu Māori
My role at Te Papa is to identify feathers and hair in the ethnological collections, however on occasion I come across something interesting in my research including the following mystery. While identifying the feathers in the museum’s Māori textiles collection, I counted eight piupiu (skirt or waist garment) with the letter ‘M’Read more
Historic Māori Cloak in China
Cloak on display-opening blessing for Te Papa exhibitions, National Museum of China, 31st October 2012. Photographer John B. Turner, Beijing. “The smallest is as great as the largest.” October 1st, 1957. Dusk descends on Tiananmen Square, Peking, now known as Beijing. Fireworks crackle light across the night sky, above a city aliveRead more
Uniformity: Making the Curatorial Cut
I’ve been asked a lot of questions about why some of the new acquisitions were pursued and why they were put into this show, so hopefully this entry will help answer some of the queries and shed light on the curatorial decisions made for Uniformity. In my last blog Uniformity: WhyRead more
Collecting the Spade-toothed whales
The Spade-toothed whale Mesoplodon traversii, is now known from 5 specimens, three of which are housed at Te Papa. With only one of these specimens a complete skeleton, the species is as rare as they come – even among beaked whales – the most elusive of all the world’s whales. WhalesRead more
Uniformity – why uniforms matter
Most curators will be able to pick out an exhibition in their professional history that they are very fond of. And I think the exhibition I’m going to talk about in this blog is one show that will always be a bit close to my heart. On the 27th ofRead more
Contemporary New Zealand art on display in China
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
Unforgettable: Michael Parekowhai’s ‘On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer’
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
Kahu Ora – Toi Whakarākai, Te Wānanga o Raukawa weavers
It is an honour for Te Papa to welcome this month’s resident weavers for the Kahu Ora exhibition – tutors and students from the Design and Art course of Te Wānanga o Raukawa, Otaki. Under the name of Toi Whakarākai, senior weavers Sonia Snowden, Pip Devonshire and Elaine Bevan laterRead more
Born in a manger, found in a barn: Te Papa offers assistance to Futuna Chapel
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
A sense of touch
Written by Lucy Moore, Exhibition Supervisor One of the joys of being a Te Papa Host is when that ‘light bulb’ moment happens – when a visitor sees or experiences something profoundly new as a result of being in an exhibition. We’ve had many of these moments in Kahu OraRead more