2011 past exhibitionsNgā whakaaturanga 2011
Past exhibitions that opened in 2011 – from Tai Timu, Tai Pari, Tainui: Journey of a people to Collecting Contemporary.
On this page:
Faraway Places: 19th century travel photography
E Tū Ake: Standing Strong
Collecting Contemporary
New Zealand in Vogue
Oceania: Early encounters
Tai timu, tai pari, Tainui: Journey of a people
European Master Prints: The founding gift of Bishop Monrad
Unveiled: 200 years of wedding fashion from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Faraway Places: 19th century travel photography
Dates: 24 Feb – 19 Sep 2011
Cost: Free entry
In the 19th century, enterprising European photographers travelled to distant places such as Egypt, India, China, the American West, and the Pacific. People who had not travelled could see, for the first time, what the world looked like through the photographs these travellers brought back.
Later in the century, tourism as we know it today emerged and photographers began to offer souvenir images for travellers to take home. Faraway Places showed an intriguing selection of photographs by both local and European photographers. The exhibition was refreshed with a new selection of images halfway through to limit the exposure of the displayed photographs to the damaging effects of light.
E Tū Ake: Standing strong
Dates: 9 Apr – 26 Jun 2011
Cost: Free entry
This exhibition displayed ancestral Māori treasures alongside contemporary works. At the heart of the exhibition was the concept of tino rangatiratanga (the ability to choose one’s own destiny), also expressed in such words as sovereignty, authority, and chieftainship. The road to tino rangatiratanga was explored in three segments:
whakapapa
mana
and kaitiakitanga (stewardship; trust).
The exhibition reflected the artistic depth and political aspirations of Aotearoa’s strong and resilient indigenous culture. E Tū Ake toured internationally, visiting the Musée du quai Branly in Paris, France, the Museo de las Culturas in Mexico City, Mexico, and the Musée de la Civilisation, Québec, Canada.
Collecting Contemporary
Dates: 9 Jun 2011 – 29 Jul 2012
Cost: Free entry
This exhibition presented a selection of contemporary art acquired by Te Papa between 2006 and 2012. Each year Te Papa adds significant works from emerging and established artists to its Art Collection.
The exhibition featured works in a range of media, including painting, furniture design, jewellery, photography, sculpture, video, and ceramics. Together, the works demonstrated the diversity and strength of New Zealand art and design.
New Zealand in Vogue
Dates: 24 Jun 2011 – 16 Sep 2012
Cost: Free entry
In 1957 British Vogue, the world's most glamorous fashion magazine, established Vogue New Zealand. It was originally produced in England, but by 1960 the magazine, and its Australian counterpart, had moved to Australia. Vogue New Zealand developed a distinctly New Zealand flavour and featured the work of local designers and photographers.
This exhibition drew its inspiration directly from the pages of Vogue New Zealand. It showcased garments from top New Zealand designers, and those made here under licence from the world's leading fashion houses, such as Christian Dior. As well as stylish suits and dresses reflecting the latest international trends, there were the accessories essential to the well-dressed woman. The home sewer was included too, supported by Vogue in its pattern service and advice on fabrics.
Oceania: Early encounters
Dates: 6 Aug – 6 Nov 2011
Cost: Free entry
Together with a City Gallery Wellington show entitled Oceania: Imagining the Pacific, this exhibition explored the richness of Māori, Pacific, and European art and culture. It investigated cross-cultural encounters between Pacific and European peoples in the Pacific over the past 500 years, looking at themes including people of the sea, early contact, creative encounters, spirit worlds, and cultures in conflict.
Learn about the art and objects displayed in Oceania
Tai timu, tai pari, Tainui: Journey of a people
Dates: 3 Sep 2011 – 2 Mar 2014
Cost: Free entry
This exhibition told the epic story of Tainui – New Zealand’s largest tribal grouping – exploring their origins in East Polynesia to their lives in present-day Aotearoa and beyond.
It showcased the courage and resourcefulness of their early ancestors, who voyaged across the Pacific to establish themselves in Aotearoa, and the resilience and adaptability of subsequent generations in facing the challenges that confronted them, especially the arrival of European settlers. The exhibition included stories of Tainui’s inspirational leaders and taonga.
Tai timu, tai pari, Tainui: Journey of a people was developed in conjunction with the Tainui Waka Alliance – an association of five Tainui iwi: Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa, Te Kawerau-a-Maki, and Waikato.
European Master Prints: The founding gift of Bishop Monrad
Dates: 22 Sep 2011 – 4 Mar 2012
Cost: Free entry
The Monrad Collection has delighted New Zealanders for almost 150 years. This important collection of European fine prints is the founding art collection of Te Papa. It is also distinguished by being the earliest European print collection to be donated to a public institution outside of Europe. European Master Prints showcased highlights from this pivotal collection.
Following its donation to the Colonial Museum – Te Papa’s first predecessor – in Wellington, the collection was housed at various times at the General Assembly Library, the Alexander Turnbull Library, and the National Art Gallery. The collection has now been reassembled at Te Papa according to Bishop Monrad’s own catalogue of 1869.
Unveiled: 200 years of wedding fashion from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Dates: 17 Dec 2011 – 22 Apr 2012
Cost: Admission charges
Unveiled showcased 200 years of wedding fashion from one of the world’s most superb collections – that of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. It included outfits inspired by tradition, practicality, celebrity, fantasy – and, of course, love. Highlights included celebrity gowns by stellar international designers such as Norman Hartnell, Vivienne Westwood, and Christian Lacroix. Also on show were special commissions by New Zealand designers WORLD, Lindah Lepou, and Jane Yeh.
The exhibition asked how it is that the traditional western European white wedding dress has become the garment of choice for brides in many countries and cultures, as well as exploring what wedding dress styles say about the social and economic conditions of their day.
