Sarjeant Happenings: Puanga Toi Fest at Whanganui Arts – At The Centre

Āta Whakarongo is a 'potluck' major group show, curator Vanessa Edwards says.

Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery and Te Awa Rere Roa Collective present – Āta Whakarongo – an artistic feast now on at Whanganui Arts – At The Centre at 19 Taupō Quay.

Or, more specifically, as curator Vanessa Edwards coined it, it’s a “potluck” with this major group show serving up a wide range of themes and ideas in works that span the visual terrain of ancient and contemporary practices, with painting, sculpture, and photography alongside aute and whakairo.

The exhibition itself is a reflection on the role of the artist within a community and the national political landscape, especially when it comes to questioning the status quo in order to illuminate and generate new perspectives and ideas for moving forward.

“I’ve asked each artist to think about the importance of the artist’s voice through their work and the messages and narratives that they are wanting to express. Especially in this climate with the shift of government and the challenges we are facing,” Edwards said.

“Everybody is aware of that phrase, āta whakarongo – listen carefully – probably from their teacher or their parents. But, in this context, it’s really to listen to the artist’s voice that’s coming through in the work. Rongo is actually all the senses together so when you say ‘āta whakarongo’ it’s about activating all your senses. Instructing the viewers to connect in and just immerse themselves in the dialogues that will be present in the work.”

The talent teeming in this river city is gaining a national reputation ahead of the Sarjeant reopening in November and this exhibition is strengthening relationships between artists who live locally and/or who have whakapapa links to Whanganui. With Āta Whakarongo, Edwards continues to expand on this community-driven project building on the success of previous Puanga exhibitions, He Tohu Tēnā Pea at the closing of Sarjeant on the Quay last year, and Huritau the year before. The group has grown from 17 artists last year to 25 artists in 2024.

Running for five weeks, the overarching kaupapa has been called Puanga Toi Fest with the exhibition being a space for viewers to be still and listen carefully so as to feel the expressive potential in themselves through the stories in these works, then adding to the experience with interactive workshops, artist talks and creative and fun events for the whole whānau. These workshops and talks will be held alongside a powerful photography exhibit celebrating the Ngā Puna Waihanga movement, which has been documented extensively by John Miller and Gil Hanly since the 1970s. Te Atiawa painter and printmaker Gabrielle Belz is the kaitiaki of this photographic story and will host an artist talk on July 13, speaking to the Ngā Puna Waihanga exhibit and her work, celebrated internationally and locally, concerning identity, history and possible futures.

“We called it Puanga Toi Fest because that indicates a celebration, coming together and fun. So it’s not too heavy and it talks about the marrying of the two spaces together, a reflective space and then an active space, and really invites more of the community to participate in something of this nature.”

Edwards said the artist talks were a really important aspect of this year’s offering.

“Yes, it’s important to go in and experience the work yourself individually but then when you go in and listen to the kōrero behind the work, that’s wānanga. The work has its own narrative. You could come away thinking I never knew that about that narrative or I have heard that story, but not like that.”

An important aspect of the Puanga Toi fest is keeping the fires burning for the next generation to expand and ignite cross-cultural conversations through the arts and several of the Puanga Toi Fest events are designed for tamariki.

Edwards acknowledged Te Atinga (contemporary Māori Visual Arts Committee) for supporting artists to explore, experiment and develop and share their creative interests.

For all the Puanga Toi Fest event details go to the What’s On page at sarjeant.org.nz