go to toi tū toi ora

Welcome to clipboard, a weekly newsletter about hospo, fashion, and Tāmaki Makaurau, by Reilly Hodson. This week: head to Toi Tū, Toi Ora, if you haven’t already. If you enjoy clipboard, share it with your friends, and think about chipping in a few dollars by clicking the button below to support my crazy lifestyle.

a truly life-changing experience

This week, I finally made it to Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, and if you haven’t been yet, and you’re in town, you absolutely need to get there before it closes on 9 May.

Toi Tū is the gallery’s biggest exhibition ever, a survey of the state of contemporary Māori art, curated by Nigel Borell, who left his post as curator Māori almost immediately after the show opened, leaving behind him a trail of allegations about the terrible treatment of Māori and minority staff at the institution (full disclosure: my partner left her job at the gallery at a similar time, so I have my own thoughts about it as a workplace).

Whatever the state of the organisation that is responsible, the work that Borell and his team did to put this show together was immense, and the outcome is, quite frankly, astounding.

When most people think of New Zealand art, their minds often go to people like Dick Frizzell, or Gordon Walters, white men who borrow (or steal) Māori iconography and pass it off as their own under the banner of Kiwi-ness, minimising the specific Māori whakapapa of that work. Their work is iconic, sure, but it has the same vibe as a pākehā guy on his OE doing a haka at a pub in London.

Toi Tū tosses those figures to the side to focus on the work of Māori artists in all its forms. From the massive installation by Maureen Lander and Mata Aho that tells the story of Hine-nui-te-pō and Maui to different interpretations of kowhaiwhai, or Michael Parekowhai’s absurdist elephants, it’s a remarkable collection of works that needs to be seen to be believed and understood. I was floored by it.

I’m no art critic, and I don’t whakapapa Māori, so you should also read Leonie Hayden’s piece about the show on The Spinoff, Ngarino Ellis in the Pantograph Punch, and Samuel Te Kani in Metro for a more informed view. If you do anything this week, make it spending a few hours at the Art Gallery. It’s free, so there’s no excuse.

clips

• Te Tuhi in Pakuranga is selling tote bags made out of billboards for some of its recent shows to fundraise, and they’re very cool.

• Thom Morison is releasing the start of its new collection next week, and if this Instagram teaser is any indication, it won’t be one to miss.

• Clay, my favourite of the Karangahape Road wine bars, is losings its chef, Ray, in a week or so. Gutting news, but apparently he’s going to open his own spot, which is very exciting.

• Checks Downtown had a slight production mishap on their latest drop, which means you can buy these very cool stonewashed jeans at a very reasonable price. If you need a new pair, get in quick.

• The new series from The Spinoff and Objectspace, The Single Object, is an amazing look into the story of simple items. This episode on the chainsaw that cut down the tree on Maungakiekie One Tree Hill is particularly good stuff.

• Penny Sage is hosting a pop up today from 10-2 with Klay, Walk in the Park, and Jiho Store.

• Fabric in Britomart might be best known for selling CDG Play, but they also sell some very cool clothes. Case in point: this new drop of Margaret Howell, a very cool British workwear-inspired brand. It isn’t cheap, but it does look great.

• Notes on vibe from vibe master general at the New Yorker, Kyle Chayka.

That’s all for clipboard this week, shorter than usual because it’s a busy week for me, but I’ll be back with full service next week. If you enjoy clipboard, send it to your coolest friends, and think about maybe contributing some money to keep this silly newsletter going. See you next week!