Alag is artist Tarika Sabherwal’s first solo exhibition at Season Aoteaora.
The title itself has a double meaning, by which it can be read as either alāg, as in the Hindi word for separate, apart, parted, or different; or a lag, as in a lag in communication or a glitch in some sort of system.
The images are drawn from Hindi iconography, continuing a theme in Sabherwal’s practice of exploring and reimagining well-known motifs, as seen in paintings of horses and felines, for example.
The works show a continuation of a side of Sabherwal’s practice which uses an airbrush tool to paint onto raw canvas, creating a dyed effect and bold contrast.
Sofia had a kōrero with Tarika about her practice and Alag.
Joined on the airwaves by Philip Kelly i tēnei rā! Flicking through an array of genres... from Djrum, Herbie Hancock, and Bobbi Humphrey, to Broadcast, Young Marble Giants, and a Brian Eno - David Byrne collab.
A reported 131,000 submissions were made on the Regulatory Standards Bill.
The Bill, proposed by the ACT party, includes a set of principles outlining “responsible regulation.” Notably, it does not include any mention of either version of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Last weekend, hundreds of Destiny Church members marched on Queen Street in a rally that they called “in defence of faith, flag, and family.”
And the Labour Party has criticised the framing of a poll question by the Taxpayers Union/Curia on whether or not Cook Islanders should retain automatic New Zealand citizenship.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden asked Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these topics.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about the Regulatory Standards Bill, last weekend's Destiny Church protest, and the Taxpayers Union-Curia Poll on Cook Islands Citizenship.
For International Desk, they spoke to 95bFM reporter Sanat Singh about Zohran Mamdani’s all-but-confirmed primary win that has made him the Democratic nominee for the New York City mayoral race.
For this week’s City Counselling, Producer Sara spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson about the council’s emergency preparedness plans for the disabled community, and the proposals for flood mitigation at the Takapuna Golf Course
She also spoke with far-right extremism expert Byron Clark about last weekend’s Destiny Church protest
Finally, she spoke with University of Auckland doctoral student Tom Wilkinson about nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, in light of tensions between Israel and Iran.
Last week, the council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) Committee said they would be seeking to implement a number of recommendations that improve emergency readiness for disabled populations.
Following a hui last year where community members were invited to bring forward issues relating to future planning for natural disasters, Sara was interested to hear about how the council is taking suggestions on board.
As well, Auckland Council has been considering proposals to mitigate flood risks around the Wairau catchment, including one which would see the reduction of the size of the Takapuna Golf Course, to convert the space into a flood catchment.
Producer Sara spoke to Auckland Councillor Shane Henderson on both of these topics, firstly by asking him to discuss the desired outcomes relating to emergency preparedness for disabled people, and the council’s first steps to implementation
On Saturday, Destiny Church held a protest in the Auckland CBD under the slogan “no immigration without assimilation”, denouncing non-Christian religions and other groups in Aotearoa.
The demonstration, which Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki described as a “lawful, peaceful protest”, involved the destruction and burning of flags including the Palestinian flag and the Rainbow Pride flag.
Leaders from a collection of ethnic community groups have called for the toughening of hate speech laws in response to the intolerance displayed at this protest action, which political figures like Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour and Police Minister Mark Mitchell condemned as “unkiwi”, and “vile rhetoric and behaviour”.
Seeking to dive deeper into the issue of extremism and hostility towards diverse cultures in New Zealand, I spoke with far right and alt-right extremism expert Byron Clark about the protest and the existence of these groups in Aotearoa.
Producer Sara began the interview by asking Clark to explain the kind of ideologies that were on display at the protest.
Zohran Mamdani has all but won the Democratic Primary in New York City after key competitor Andrew Cuomo conceded the race.
Mamdani will now be the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor.
His campaign was built on cost-of-living, where Mamdani presented himself as an authentic, Democratic Socialist, grassroots campaign leader.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to 95bFM reporter and South Asia correspondent Sanat Singh about Momdani’s win, what this means for the communities he represents, and where to from here.