Taimoana | Coastlines: Art in Aotearoa

Taimoana | Coastlines explores the art of Aotearoa New Zealand, locating it within Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the wider Pacific region. Taking the concept of the coast, or shoreline, as a starting point, the exhibition navigates a sea of ideas, offering multiple perspectives on New Zealand art through a selection of works from the collection of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. 

The coast is central to the way of life of many in Aotearoa New Zealand and it has been throughout our entire history. Integral to te ao Māori, the Māori world, the interconnectedness of land and sea is reflected in cultural narratives and practices. The coast is at times a source of sustenance and employment, at others a route for travel, a space of recreation, conflict, well-being or inspiration, but also, as the climate continues to change, at the frontline of danger. The coast is a threshold, an in-between zone, a perpetually shifting meeting point of land and sea that prompts us to examine our relationships with both.

In this exhibition, artists from the 18th century to today ride the oceans’ currents, traversing themes from the enormity of the Pacific to the vessels that have crossed its expanse and plied Aotearoa’s coasts, and exploring their personal responses to the shore as well as the legacies of colonial encounters and conflict. 

Please note, due to the Gallery’s Heritage Restoration Project: Kia Whakahou, Kia Whakaora, this exhibition will open in stages over the next few months. The full exhibition will be open from Wednesday 18 September, 2024.

Image credit: Edward Friström, Motutapu, oil on canvas, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1969.