Join Sofia Roger Williams and Beth Torrance-Hetherington for kōrero with artists and creative types from the wide art world of Tāmaki Makaurau and beyond!
Sofia had a kōrero with Artspace Aotearoa Kaitohu Director Ruth Buchanan about their newest exhibition showing Lubaina Himid and Michael Parekōwhai: Prompts.
Beth had a kōrero with artist Loren Marks about her new exhibition, Saudade, showing at Sanderson Gallery.
Sofia also spoke with Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Otago, Jacinta Ruru, about a book she co-edited, Books of Mana, which explores 180 Māori-authored books of significance.
Beth also spoke with artist Anto Yeldezian about his new exhibition, Arena, showing at Coastal Signs Gallery.
And for Stage Direction this week, Brady Peeti joined Sofia in the studio to speak about her Auckland Pride Show: What Happened To Mary-Anne?
Prompts is Artspace Aotearoa’s latest exhibition, showing the early work of leading Aotearoa practitioner Michael Parekōwhai and Turner Prize-winning UK artist Lubaina Himid.
Presenting a large body of work on paper from Himid alongside the early and significant sculptural work, The Indefinite Article, by Parekōwhai, Prompts is Artspace Aotearoa’s first exhibition of 2025, which seeks to explore the gallery’s question this year: Is language large enough?
Sofia had a kōrero with Kaitohu Director of Artspace Aotearoa, Ruth Buchanan, about the show.
Saudade is a solo exhibition showing Naarm/Tāmaki Makaurau based artist, Loren Marks, at Sanderson Gallery.
Sanderson writes that [Loren’s] ‘artworks present ethereal and dreamlike scenes whereby figures emerge from the alchemic realms of paint’.
The works in this exhibition experiment with Helen Frankenthaler’s ‘soak-stain’ technique. Often abstracted, each absorbs the viewer into its individual world of vivid imagery and colour.
Beth had a kōrero with Loren about Saudade and her creative process
Books of Mana is a new book edited by Jacinta Ruru (Raukawa, Ngāti Ranginui), Angela Wanhalla (Kāi Tahu) and Jeanette Wikaira (Ngāti Pukenga, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāpuhi) which released earlier this week.
It is the first of its kind in the world to celebrate non-fiction indigenous writing – exploring 200 years of Māori print legacies. In examining the ways 180 selected books have enriched lives and helped to foster understanding of the Māori experience, both at home in Aotearoa and internationally, the book is a clear vision of influence, excellence and diversity of Māori writing.
Sofia spoke with co-editor and Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Otago, Jacinta Ruru, about Books of Mana.
Anto Yeldezian is a Tāmaki Makaurau based artist of Armenian heritage. His latest exhibition, Arena, is currently showing at Coastal Signs Gallery.
The works in Arena often play with bright and bold colours - often being mixed medium, with images, sketches and painting superimposed onto one another. Coastal Signs writes that in Anto’s paintings, ‘[. . . ] images from a myriad of sources are layered on top of one another and synthesized, very adeptly, into painterly tableau. 'The works in Arena are, as the title suggests, often organised around game boards – such as Snakes & Ladders and Noughts & Crosses – and representations of contested territories, both fictional and otherwise’.
Beth had a kōrero with Anto about Arena and his artistic process
On May 1st, 1979, a group of young Māori and Pasifika activists, He Taua, confronted a gathering of University of Auckland engineering students as they rehearsed their annual ‘mock’ haka.
Following director Katie Wolfe’s play of the same name - which travelled the country on a highly successful national tour from 2021 - the documentary uses archival and contemporary interviews with people directly involved in the incident. Sofia spoke to Katie about this largely forgotten piece of history and her filmmaking process.
Sofia had a kōrero with writer, director, and producer of The Haka Party Incident, Katie Wolfe.
STOP: Look Both Ways (Ugly Hill Press) is a new book by Murray Savidan. The book showcases some of the best of Murray’s photography from the 1960s to now.
Beth had a kōrero with Murray about the book and his extensive photography career. Additionally they chat about Murray’s time in The Bluestars, the first New Zealand band to sign to Decca in the ’60s.
In Murray’s own words, ‘You gesture with your camera, okay? You take a photograph, maybe another. You smile – thank you and move on. It’s taken 15 seconds, maybe less. But those brief encounters can be very rewarding. You remember them the rest of your life.’
STOP: Look Both Ways is out now at independent bookstores near you.
Beth had a kōrero with Murray Savidan about his new book, STOP: Look Both Ways, and his extensive photography career.
Sofia had a kōrero with writer, director, and producer of The Haka Party Incident, Katie Wolfe.
And for Stage Direction this week, Xin Ji joins Beth in the studio to discuss Body Story - a physical dance theatre piece - as well as his debut solo show.
Vivienne Westwood and Jewellery is a new exhibition at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Designed and curated by the house of Vivienne Westwood and produced by Nomad Exhibitions, the exhibition at Te Papa covers the extensive history of jewellery design and creation by the Vivienne Westwood house.
Sofia spoke to Senior Curator of New Zealand Culture and History at Te Papa, Claire Regnault, about Westwood’s career and the exhibition.
She also spoke with Hunters and Collectors owner and founder, Chrissy O, about her experience collecting and selling Westwood vintage in Aotearoa, in light of the exhibition at Te Papa.
Having opened in 1987, Hunters and Collectors is a designer vintage store based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington which specialises in selling brands of the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Rick Owens, Issey Miyake, Maison Margiela, Acne Studios and more. Chrissy is very likely the biggest collector and seller of Vivienne Westwood in Aotearoa.
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.
Alice Canton spoke to artistic director of Auckland Arts Festival, Bernie Haldane, about the programme this year. The festival is running from 6-23 March. More info here!
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