Tīaho (To Shine) is historically significant as the first touring exhibition of contemporary photography and moving image from New Zealand and Oceania to be shown in Mexico. We both share the Pacific Ocean, and many other cultural resonances connect the two regions.
Tīaho, from the Maori language meaning “to emit rays of light, to shine, to bring forth”, features the work of 26 new generation media artists, originating from eight Pacific nations. They work at the interface of customary and contemporary practice today, across the spectrum of digital and analogue photography, including portraiture, moving image/ video performance, animation and film.
The exhibition will show across the city at three venues: The Instituto Latino De Mexico, The Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, and The Palacio Municpal de Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico State.
It’s desired that the exhibit interacts with as many young people as possible; to communicate through the power of art.
The Tīaho exhibition features documentary photography and video as well as self -portraiture, a large section on Pacific tattoo and body art, street fashion and adornment, youth and pop culture, underground hip-hop music video and photography and work exploring social networking sites and new communities such as Bebo, Facebook and myspace. Traditions of today are created, reflecting lived realities and hopes for a better future.
Tīaho ( To Shine) – Contemporary Photography from Oceania explores a range of narratives that make links with the changing world view of the Pacific and Oceania, self and cultural expression, Post Colonialiaty, idenitity and identification, globalisation, the migrants’ experience, survival, politics, the environment, spirituality and the situation of what it is is to speak from a position of different cultural perspectives and backgrounds.
The 26 exhibiting artists originate from New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti, Niue, Australia and the Cook Islands. They are: Edith Amituanai, Reweti Arapere, Torika Bolatagici, Quinton Carrington, Melanie Fer Don, Kay George, Niki Hastings-McFall, Lonnie Hutchinson, Anita Jacobsen, Leilani Kake, Kieran Keat, Terry Koloamatangi Klavenes, Vinesh Kumaran, Janet Lilo, Becky Nunes, Rosanna Raymond, Marlon Rivers, Greg Semu, Siliga David Setoga, Lisa Taouma, Nooroa Tapuni, Tracey Tawhiao, Angela Tiatia, Michel Tuffery, Tracey Moffat and Shigeyuki Kihara.
Tīaho (To Shine) is the 42nd exhibition curated by art historian and lecturer Giles Peterson who lectures in New Zealand and Pacific art and design history at Whitecliffe College in Auckland, New Zealand. Tiaho celebrates over 16 years of independent curating by Peterson who first came to Mexico in January 2009 on a study tour.
The exhibition will be accompanied by an education programme, curator’s talk and workshops with students exploring digital media, social curating and key themes in the exhibition. It is hoped that young people will engage with the work and be able to conduct projects and assignments around the key themes of the exhibition in relation to curriculum learning. An important part of the project will be the documentation of young peoples’ interaction.
- Giles Peterson, curator
(Taken from press release.)
Kieran Keat. St Sebastian. Photographic print. 508mm x 762mm
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