Various Artists with Sofia & Beth

 Last Friday, the winner of the Walters Prize for 2024 was announced, as chosen by this year’s international judge Cameroonian Berlin-based Professor Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung. 

The $50,000 Walters Prize - which is now awarded every three years - was decided this year between artists Owen Connors, Juliet Carpenter, Brett Graham and Ana Iti.

On Friday, artist Ana Iti (Te Rarawa) was announced as the winner for her sculpture and sound installation entitled ‘A resilient heart like the mānawa’, which is currently on display alongside the other candidate’s works at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. 

Sofia caught up with Ana about celebrating the win, the creation process behind ‘A resilient heart like the mānawa’, and what’s next for her and her practic

Alice Canton and Rutene Spooner join Beth in-studio to chat about Be Like Billy, a show on at Te Pou Theatre as a part of Kōanga Festival. Tickets through Te Pou’s website.

Chaos Magic is an exhibition by Matt Joils currently on at Window Gallery. Based in Tāmaki, Joils is a painter whose works draw from visual elements found organically online and graphic design in the urban wild. 

In response to Mark Fisher’s publication ‘Capitalist Realism’, the exhibition consists of a series of a small-scale abstract painting installation and a large depiction of Garfield. 

Sofia spoke to Matt about his practice and the exhibition, on until October 18th.

Sofia had a kōrero with co-curator, Dr Jane Davidson-Ladd, about Ngā Taonga Tūturu: Treasured Māori Portraits, a new exhibition showing at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. The exhibition brings together whakairo and oil paintings from the gallery’s collection, offering insights into the significance of tūpuna representations within te ao Māori. 

Beth spoke with Ross Deans, Jodie Yawa McMillan and Madi Macdonald about Through the Lens: Gendered Reflections, an exhibition of photography by women artists spanning a period of over 40 years including works by alumni of the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau.

Sofia had a kōrero with Matt Joils about his exhibition, Chaos Magic, currently showing at Window Gallery. In response to Mark Fisher’s publication ‘Capitalist Realism’, the exhibition consists of a series of a small-scale abstract painting installation and a large depiction of Garfield.

For Stage Direction, Alice Canton and Rutene Spooner join Beth in-studio to chat about Be Like Billy, a show on at Te Pou Theatre as a part of Kōanga Festival. Tickets through Te Pou’s website..

And, as always, they round off the show with your weekly Arts Guide, keeping you up-to-date with all the must-see artsy goings-on in Tāmaki.