Curating Pacific Art Forum

The 2nd Curating Pacific Art Forum took place on Saturday 21 May at AUT University’s beautiful new Manukau Campus.

It was great to have Jim Vivieaere, noted Pacific curator in attendance. Concept Leader / Visual Arts Curator at Waikato Museum, Leafa Wilson delivered an inspiring paper entitled, Curating Yourself: The Curator as The Point of Departure and paid homage to Jim’s pioneering practice.

Dagmar Dyke + Christina Jeffery (Tautai Trust)

Lealiifano Albert Refiti (AUT University), Safua Akeli (Te Papa Tongarewa – Museum of New Zealand), Jim Vivieaere + Angela Tiatia

Lealiifano Albert Refiti, Senior Lecturer in Spatial Design in the School of Art and Design, AUT University, delivered the opening address, noting the institution’s commitment to serving the Pacific communities of Manukau.

Bruce E. Phillips, Curator at Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts (Pakuranga, Auckland) and independent curator, Luisa Tora discussed international exhibition projects Close Encounters (Hyde Park Art Centre, Chicago, USA) and VASU: Pacific Women of Power (University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji).

Nicole Lim (Fresh Gallery Otara), Margaret Aull (Te Wananga o Aotearoa) + Gareth Dyer (AUT University)

Ema Tavola + Leafa Wilson

The final panel: Ema Tavola (Fresh Gallery Otara), Leafa Wilson (Waikato Museum), Dionne Fonoti (National University of Samoa / Ivilasi Films), Bruce E. Phillips (Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts) and Luisa Tora.

Curator, writer and educator Ian Wedde contributed closing remarks, drawing on the meaning of the word ‘community’, a recurring theme throughout the day.

Sean Mallon (Te Papa Tongarewa – Museum of New Zealand) with Fulimalo Pereira (Auckland Museum) and her daughter.

Leafa Wilson, Luisa Tora + Daniel Satele

Ian Wedde + Bruce E. Phillips

Ema Tavola, Karl Chitham + Leafa Wilson

Our excellent MC, Nigel Borell (Kaiwhakahaere – Maori Arts Advisor, Auckland Council South) with Kolokesa Mahina-Tuai and friend.

Keynote presentation, The Soul, The Image and The Voice by Dionne Fonoti will be posted here soon.

• We want to know what you’d like to know, hear about, think about, be inspired by for the next Curating Pacific Art Forum – email your thoughts to Ema Tavola
• A video documenting the event will be posted here soon!

A BIG vinaka vakalevu to AUT University for partnering on a very inspiring day of dialogue!