Kā Kaupapa o te Wā
What’s On
Made in the Pacific: A Collection of Tāoga
A selection of Pacific tāoga from the Canterbury Museum in conversation with contemporary artworks that highlight the continued strength in culture and traditional art forms.
Mark Adams: A Survey | He Kohinga Whakaahua
A comprehensive survey spanning the artist's career.
Ana Iti: Ngahere Behind a Pile of Metal
An immersive installation considering the legacies of deforestation and significance of kauri trees.
E tuwhera ana te wharetoi i kā rā e 7 o te wiki, 10am - 5pm
Ka tuwhera ki te 9pm i kā pō Wenerei
Open 7 days, 10am - 5pm
Late night Wednesday until 9pm
Uruka utukore, ahokore utukore
Free entry, free wifi
Notes
Grasses by Aileen Fisher
We leave Aotearoa New Zealand today with an American poet and an English painter, brought together just for fun. Grasses by Aileen Fisher (1906-2002) is read by Karin Bathgate who works as a Visitor Host here at the Gallery.
We hope it makes you smile for the full 20 second hand-washing routine.
Notes
Home Thoughts by Denis Glover
Today our former director Jenny Harper reads a poem that is the very essence of New Zealand, and specifically Canterbury, identity, and one we just could not leave out.
It's a decent length for hand-washing, but no harm in that. I could have selected half the works in our collection to accompany this one, but have gone for John Weeks's depiction of a bustling Cathedral Square. We very much look forward to experiencing such a scene again before too long.
Notes
The Polar Bear by John Summers
Lily and Thomas Semple, whose Dad (Neil Semple) works with us - as did their Mum (Lara Strongman) until recently - read John Summers's poem The Polar Bear.
So this one is for all of you in lockdown with children. Children who perhaps like Billy in this poem will not go to bed when they should.
For handwashing purposes it's over a minute long, so perhaps ideal for washing a whole load of little hands in turn.
Notes
There Is Only One Direction by James K Baxter
Dr Peter Simpson reads James K Baxter's poem There Is Only One Direction. Baxter wrote this poem in response to Colin McCahon's painting of the same name, now in the collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū.
The poem has been generously provided by the Hocken Collections - Uare Taoka o Hākena and is reproduced with kind permission of the family of James K. Baxter.
Notes
There is a Solemn Wind Tonight by Katherine Mansfield
Visitor Host Michael Purdie reads a favourite Katherine Mansfield poem.
Matching a work from our collection for this gentle verse proved difficult. The wind in New Zealand is rarely solemn or gentle and whether coming from north, south or east, it's always vicious. This is reflected in our paintings which depict plenty of dramatic storms, but little that could be called gentle.
In any event we hope you enjoy washing your hands to both Katherine Mansfield and to Juliet Peter's Rising Wind. Rising into a hurricane force storm no doubt.
Notes
For a Child by Denis Glover
Sumner beach may be off limits at the moment but we hope this poem will stir some happy memories. It did for the reader, Rupert Glover, the poet's son, who says he 'grew up on Sumner beach.'
Collection
Billy Apple FROM THE CHRISTCHURCH ART GALLERY TE PUNA O WAIWHETŪ COLLECTION
Started in 1988, Billy Apple’s From the Collection… series engaged art collectors in a relationship that was conceptual as well as financial. By bringing the transaction between artist and buyer centre stage, Billy made ownership details – often unstated, or located discretely in a wall label like this one – the content of the painting itself. The series expanded to include a range of corporate, private and public collections, including Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. While Billy’s distinctive typography and spatial arrangement (influenced by the golden ratio) were non-negotiable, he agreed the finer details of the works with each prospective owner – colour, shape, size, even the inclusion of corporate logos. In this case, the Gallery requested the addition of a macron for ‘Waiwhetū’.