Ihirangaranga / Resonances of the Forest: Toi Taiao Whakatairanga

Drawing from a premise that forest health is under threat from kauri dieback (Phytophthora agathidicida) and myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) the exhibiting artists have researched and explored expressions of grief, healing and restoration.

Intentionally intersecting with knowledge realms of mātauranga Māori and Western science, the projects represented are diverse. Some aspire to address a wide public, others speak first within the intimacy and immediacy of whānau and hapū concerns, or to the specificity of a particular landscape. The artists and their collaborators address the kaupapa through wānanga, waiata and karakia, moving image and documentary, photography, print and publication, deep listening and singing back.

Toi Taiao Whakatairanga is a collective research project, which proposes creative practices have an important role to play in generating wider knowledge, care and connection to the challenges facing te taiao. It is part of the Mobilising for Action theme funded by Ngā Rākau Taketake/New Zealand’s Biological Heritage National Science Challenge. 

Artists: Fiona Apanui Kupenga, Graeme Atkins, Charlotte Graham, Kelly Kahukiwa, Emily Karaka, Angela Kilford, Dan Nathan, Aroha Novak, Tyrone Ohia / Extended Whānau, Natalie Robertson and Tanya Ruka

09 September - 03 December 2023