• Login
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Massey Documents by Type
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   Home
    • Massey Documents by Type
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Māori curatorship at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki 1998-2001 : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Museum Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    Icon
    View/Open Full Text
    01_front.pdf (1.251Mb)
    02_whole.pdf (18.43Mb)
    Export to EndNote
    Abstract
    This thesis documents the experience of Ngāhiraka Mason, the first appointee to the Māori curatorial position at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. It examines the development of her curatorial practice with specific focus on contemporary Māori art. The purpose of the thesis is to describe the conditions and relationships which influence Ngāhiraka's practice as a Māori curator. The thesis identifies the Māori curatorial position as an important development in the Gallery's relationship with Māori. In order to understand its significance, a history of Māori representation at the Gallery is constructed. Based on acquisition, exhibition and archival data, recurring patterns of racial prejudice and discrimination against Māori are revealed. The thesis then investigates the events which gave rise to the position in order to understand the Gallery's motives and present the complex environment in which the Māori curator practises. Ngāhiraka's personal narrative is at the heart of the thesis, a narrative that chronicles the cultural and educational experiences that brought her to the Gallery. Ngāhiraka then describes the conditions and expectations she encountered and the conflict between Curator and Kaitiaki as models of practice. The development of her first Māori art exhibition Pūrangiaho: Seeing Clearly (2001) is analysed to provide evidence of her agency within the site. The exhibition is then deconstructed as an expression of Māori identity and its impact is evaluated from several perspectives. The thesis contends that the Gallery exerts a level of influence that compromises Ngāhiraka's ability to effectively represent Māori. It is argued that the art museum is threatened by the practice of Māori values. The Māori curator then, carries a different kaupapa (framework) which inevitably challenges the balance of power at the Gallery. There is however, a level of intransigence in the art museum that cannot be affected by the incursions of a single Māori employee. The thesis concludes that Ngāhiraka's practice primarily advantages the Gallery and is of limited benefit to Māori. Despite this, Ngāhiraka takes what opportunity is afforded to her and issues a wero (challenge) to contemporary Māori artists. She postulates a new criterion upon which they should be judged which involves making a positive contribution to the viability of Māori at a social level. In doing so, Ngāhiraka engages her practice with Māori-self-determination and becomes an activist against institutional racism.
    Date
    2006
    Author
    White, Anna-Marie
    Rights
    The Author
    Publisher
    Massey University
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10179/13855
    Collections
    • Theses and Dissertations
    Metadata
    Show full item record

    Copyright © Massey University
    | Contact Us | Feedback | Copyright Take Down Request | Massey University Privacy Statement
    DSpace software copyright © Duraspace
    v5.7-2020.1-beta1
     

     

    Tweets by @Massey_Research
    Information PagesContent PolicyDepositing content to MROCopyright and Access InformationDeposit LicenseDeposit License SummaryTheses FAQFile FormatsDoctoral Thesis Deposit

    Browse

    All of MROCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    Copyright © Massey University
    | Contact Us | Feedback | Copyright Take Down Request | Massey University Privacy Statement
    DSpace software copyright © Duraspace
    v5.7-2020.1-beta1