Exhibitions
Events
On display
Olivia Webb and Felicity Milburn in Anthems of Belonging
Talk
Past event
Meet in the exhibition
Free
Join the artist and our lead curator for a discussion about this new exhibition, and learn about the songs and families that inspired it.
Artist Olivia Webb has worked closely with New Zealand families, including her own, to compose songs that embrace their values, concerns, and aspirations, and express their feelings about belonging in Aotearoa. The families have cultural and ancestral ties to Kiribati, Zambia, Samoa, the Philippines, England and the Netherlands and their songs reflect that diversity. Shown as life-sized video projections, their anthems are sung from their lounge rooms, emphasising both the personal and political qualities of using one’s voice. Introducing ideas not captured in our current national anthem ‘God Defend New Zealand’, they acknowledge the rich, constantly changing nature of Aotearoa.