Watch: The legacy of Te Maori – Te Ika-a-Māui, a North Island experience
At daybreak on 10 September 1984, karanga heralded the opening of the Te Maori exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. This exhibition marked a historic moment in the cultural recognition of Māori art, as it was the first time that a collection of taonga Māori were exhibited internationally as art rather than ethnographic objects.
The exhibition toured across the United States and later returned to Aotearoa New Zealand, celebrating the artistry and spiritual significance of taonga. Te Maori elevated the global appreciation of Māori culture, fuelled a cultural renaissance and created a cultural shift that eventually led to the creation of Te Papa Tongarewa.
In this zui-series, National Services Te Paerangi shares the kōrero of Māori who worked in and with museums throughout the past 40 years. They reflect on the influence that this watershed exhibition has had on their lives and the way we engage with taonga.
In Te Ika a Māui – a North Island experience, Linnae Pohatu hosts a panel discussion with Rhonda Paku, Dion Peita and Chanel Clarke.
