New exhibition celebrates Māori magazine

A magazine which was described as “a marae on paper” is being celebrated with an evolving exhibition at Tūranga.

The exhibition Te Ao Hou: A moment in Time showcases the tenacity and elegance of the Māori spirit represented in the magazine Te Ao Hou and runs Saturday 16 April through to Sunday 7 August at the Southbase Gallery.

The magazine, which included topics and events most important to Māori, was published quarterly between 1952 and 1975.

July will mark 70 years since its first issue and the entire collection will be on display.

“The first article in the first issue promised to ‘…become like a marae on paper, where all questions of interest to Māori can be discussed’ which is also the basis for the exhibition,” Head of Libraries and Information Carolyn Robertson says.

The exhibition content also follows the pōwhiri process, a process of welcome onto the marae, extending the marae metaphor mentioned in Te Ao Hou.

“Our wonderful curator will refresh and change the content over its four month duration. So people will have to come and visit more than once to experience it fully,” Ms Robertson says.

“The exhibition content will cycle out of gallery as we go through the pōwhiri process with a curated selection of articles and pages aligning to the themes and intentions of each step in the pōwhiri.”

Pōwhiri steps:
Karanga (the call of welcome, represented through our marketing and promotional material) Whaikōrero (the speechmaking process)
Hongi (Meet and connect, intertribal relationships)
Hākari (the feast, more connection but also finalises the formal part of the process)
Poroporoaki (farewell, time of reflection)

Ms Robertson says it will also travel around other Christchurch City Libraries.

“Keep an eye on the libraries website for the dates.”