Site 13. Whare (New Zealand Maori)
SoFA Gallery, Arts Centre of Christchurch
4th September - 15th October 2002
Artists: Darryn George, Eugene Hansen, Lonnie Hutchinson, Ngahiraka Mason, Maree Mills, Nathan Pohio, Rachael Rakena

Whare, the installation, was inspired by Sir Apirana Ngata's revival of whare (Maori architecture) in the late 1920s and 30s. Ngata believed that Maori youth had become too afraid to enter whare because of the tapu (restrictions), and were unwilling to take off their shoes when inside, so he developed new types of architecture for secular use.

The projections for Whare were provided by young Maori artists with connections to the Canterbury region. These artists have been influenced by their time in Canterbury, and it is this shared experience of the region that led to their individual contributions to the decoration of the Whare.

Whereas their ancestors used the materials of their day -- wood, reeds, fibre and paint -- to convey messages about the world at that time, this group of young artists used the tools at their disposal -- digital photography and film -- to express the views of this age.

Curator: Dr Deidre Brown