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From the Shore brings together acclaimed works from recent Venice Biennale artists Lisa Reihana (New Zealand) and Tracey Moffatt (Australia), as well as new commissions from Tanu Gago, Robert George, Nova Paul and Linda T. Tuafale (a.k.a. Linda T.), produced especially for the exhibition.

The six artists, all working in documentary or cinema, share concerns with what it means to represent indigenous people, places or ideas on the screen. While they share the same position, their approaches vary; capturing clichés through montage, subverting conventional tropes, or searching for evocative images and symbols. Many of these production strategies have been taken directly from the work and writings of indigenous filmmakers Barry Barclay and Merata Mita.

The exhibition title comes from Barclay’s metaphor of indigenous cinema as a ‘camera on the shore’ that reverses the historically colonial direction of the camera’s gaze.

Barry Barclay (1944-2008), together with Merata Mita (1942-2010), stand out as key figures in the history of indigenous film. Breaking ground as the first male and female indigenous directors of a feature film respectively, Barclay and Mita have become key reference points for filmmakers and artists across the globe.

“There is much we can learn about ourselves through recognising an artistic whakapapa,” says Te Uru curator Ioana Gordon-Smith. “As much as the exhibition is about how to forge a new approach to representation and production, it’s also recognising a rich history of indigenous film and its generative potential for image-making today.”

Barclay and Mita left a rich body of work for artists to consider. Their closely-related concerns were comprehensive, ranging from control of production through to community-based models of filming, but with a consistent focus on cultural sovereignty.

“Māori control over our own representation is still an issue”, says Te Warena Taua, chair of the Te Kawerau ā Maki Iwi Tribal Authority who have mana whenua status in West Auckland.

“Like many others, I knew Merata. Her and Barry’s work offers the beginning of a roadmap for how filmmakers and artists can consider the production and technical making of their work, to better enhance the mana of our people.”

Te Uru is also working in partnership with Ngā Taonga to present a film-screening programme of selected Barry Barclay and Merata Mita films from September to October.

“Though Barclay and Mita’s films are highly regarded, they’ve actually received limited distribution, so we’re excited to be able to share their work with both existing and new audiences”, says Gordon-Smith.

From the Shore runs at Te Uru from 1 September – 4 November 2018
Exhibition opening: Saturday 1 September, 4pm

Hours: 10am – 4.30pm daily
Address: 420 Titirangi Road, Titirangi, Auckland
Website: www.teuru.org.nz