Unprecedented insight into the curation of the Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art exhibition reveals the struggle for Māori artistic sovereignty within the structures of Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural institutions.
Chelsea Winstanley’s debut feature follows the journey of curator Nigel Borell as he navigates the constraints between institutional authority and Māori self-determination. Borell’s curatorial vision is clear – Māori art must be authored, not simply advocated for. For the artists, this represents a chance to be seen on their own terms, and is an initiative that ultimately leads some to the global stage of the Venice Biennale.
But as the scale of the exhibition grows, so does the institutional resistance. The result is a reckoning: whose story is being told, and who holds the pen? With many of the artworks exploring the legacy of colonialism, the making of the exhibition itself becomes a living reflection of that very struggle.
Featuring rare access and the voices of celebrated artists such as Shane Cotton, Emily Karaka, Taika Waititi, Brett Graham, Ngahina Hohaia, the Mataaho Collective and Reuben Paterson, this is a powerful portrait of cultural resilience and authorship.
