e kō, nō hea koe is the debut poetry collection by award-winning slam poet and filmmaker Matariki Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Hinerangi).
Published by Dead Bird Books, e kō, nō hea koe is “a series of goodbyes and attempts to slow the shedding, it's a group of teenagers sparking up as they watch the great pacific garbage patch catapult into space and become a second moon, it's endless conversations with Grandmama about stars, it is the constant rebirth of whakapapa and learning that silence isn’t the best part of her.”
Sofia caught up with Matariki about the themes of this body of work and how it came to fruition.
Intimation of Endless Space Given in a Small Window of Time (approximately 10 minutes) is a new exhibition by graphic designer Lina Grumm and composer Ethan Braun at Artspace Aotearoa.
The exhibition tends to relationships between sound, space, the visual, and the body, inviting deep listening and limitless interpretation, and engendering a gallery in constant flux.
Sofia had a kōrero with Kaitohu Director of Artspace Aotearoa, Ruth Buchanan, about the show and the artists.
Emily Cumming Harris was one of New Zealand’s first female botanical artists and writers. However, herself and her work has largely been forgotten. Neither her distinctive voice nor her almost 200 surviving images have been heard or seen in any quantity outside of archival or online spaces.
Groundwork: the Art and Writing of Emily Cumming Harris is a new book by author, poet and emeritus Professor of English at the University of Auckland, Michele Leggott, and co-author Catherine Field-Dodgson, published by Te Papa Press. It is the first detailed study of Harris’ exhibiting practices.
Sofia had a kōrero with Michele and Catherine about the book and what inspired them to embark on this research
Sofia went along to the opening night of the Aotearoa Art Fair. She asked a range of fair-goers what brought them there that evening, and their highlights of the fair thus far.
The Aotearoa Art Fair is on from 1-4 May at the Viaduct Events Centre.
We listened back to Sofia's coverage of the Aotearoa Art Fair opening on Thursday evening.
Beth spoke to the director of Printopia Festival, Ina Arraoui, about the events planned for this year.
And Sofia spoke to co-authors Michele Leggott and Catherine Field-Dodgson about their new book, Groundwork: the Art and Writing of Emily Cumming Harris.
And for Stage Direction this week, Alice Canton joined Sofia in the studio to chat with Florence Hartigan and Shoshana McCallum about Me, My Mother and Suzy Cato and Merely Beloved! - both on at the Herald Theatre from 8-10 May.
The Aotearoa Art Fair is coming up at the beginning of next month from 1-4 May. As one of the most significant art events in New Zealand’s cultural calendar, the Fair welcomes thousands of local and international visitors each year.
The Fair spotlights the breadth and diversity of contemporary art in Aotearoa and beyond, bringing together leading galleries from New Zealand and Australia to showcase a range of works by emerging and established artists. Whether you’re a seasoned collector, occasional buyer, or just curious about art, the fair is an opportunity to browse and buy from a range of galleries and practitioners.
Ahead of the fair, Sofia had a kōrero with Fair Director, Sue Waymouth, about the programme for 2025 and overall kaupapa.
Sofia had a kōrero with Aotearoa Art Fair director, Sue Waymouth, about the kaupapa of the fair and this year’s programme, ahead of its opening on 1st May.
Beth had a kōrero with Pōneke poet Cadence Chung about their latest collection of poetry, Mad Diva, out now via Otago University Press.
Cadence Chung is a poet from Pōneke. Her poetry has been featured in Aotearoa publications such as Bad Apple, Landfall, Starling and The Spinoff. Her chapbook, anomalia, was published in 2022.
Mad Diva is their latest collection of poetry, published by Otago University Press on April 8th. It is rich in imagery of divas in opera houses, art galleries, dive bars, bedrooms; in the purple light of Farmers at dusk and in Wakefield Street at midnight.
Beth had a kōrero with Cadence about Mad Diva, and how opera and poetry informed the other in her creative process
In 1975, a makeshift museum opened on a farm in the Māniototo region of Central Otago. The main feature of this new attraction was the nearly 300 high-end fashion garments on display in an old tractor shed.
Amassed by a successful but quietly spoken high-country farmer, J Eden Hore, the collection has been called one of the most significant of its kind in Australasia.
Central Otago: The Eden Hore Collection is a new publication by dress historian and curator, Jane Malthus, and Senior Curator of New Zealand Culture and History at Te Papa and fashion historian, Claire Regnault, featuring photography by renowned photographer, Derek Henderson, in association with Te Papa Press. The book had its official launch party at Melanie Roger Gallery earlier this week, where prints of Henderson’s photography of the Eden Hore collection are being exhibited until 17th April.
Sofia caught up with Jane Malthus and Derek Henderson about the history of the Hore collection and making of the book.
Florence Hartigan and Shoshana McCallum chat to Alice Canton about their shows, Me, My Mother and Suzy Cato and Merely Beloved! on at the Herald Theatre from 8-10 May.
Mayen Mehta and Ryan O'Kane from Auckland Theatre Company joined Sofia in the studio to chat about Murder on the Orient Express, on at ASB Waterfront Theatre 22 April - 10 May.
John Davies joined Sofia and Beth in studio to chat about Te Tupua - The Goblin, a solo play written and performed by Davies himself. Tickets for tonight's show at Te Pou Theatre here.
Ahi Karunaharan joined Beth and Sofia in the studio to talk about a mixtape for maladies, the final chapter of Karunaharan's trilogy. The play tells the story of 17 nostalgic pop tracks which chart the deeply moving journey of Sangeetha and her family in 1950s Sri Lanka. a mixtape for maladies is on at ASB Waterfront Theatre from the 4th March. You can get your tickets here.
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