Colin McCahon’s Walk (Series C) hangs on a wall in Toi Art

Tūrangawaewae: Art and New Zealand Tūrangawaewae: Te Toi o Aotearoa

From Te Papa’s art collection comes a dynamic exhibition across five galleries. The art works here explore identity and cross-cultural exchange.

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I roto i te kohinga toi a Te Papa kua puta he whakaaturanga hihiri e hōrapa atu ana i ngā wharetoi e rima. Ko ngā mahinga toi o konei he tūhura i te whakawhitinga o te tuakiri me ngā ahurea rerekē. 

see all toi art exhibitions
  • When | Āhea 17 Mar 2018 – 13 Sep 2021
  • Where | Ki hea Toi Art, Level 5
  • Cost | Te utu Free entry
  • Ages | Te reanga All ages
  • Allow | Me whakarite 30 minutes
  • Accessibility | E wātea ana ki
    • Wheelchair accessible
    • Audio-described video in Toi Whenua
    • Large neon sculpture in Janet Lilo Top 16 gallery
    • Low, soft wire barriers along two walls in Colin McCahon gallery
    • Seating.

Tūrangawaewae

  Tūrangawaewaeplace of belonging, location of identityMāori | Noun
suggests a foundation, a sense of belonging in this Pacific place – Aotearoa

  AotearoaNew ZealandMāori | Noun
. Together, these works may help us find our own place to stand. 

There are five exhibition areas within Tūrangawaewae: Art and New Zealand.

Exhibition areas

Toi whenua 

Where should an exhibition of New Zealand art begin? This gallery offers several toi whenua, or sources of creativity – through sculpture, painting, film, and tapa.

Encounters | Ngā tai whakarongorua

The portraits in this gallery represent mana

  manaprestige, powerMāori | noun
. Some trumpet the status of European royalty, Māori leaders, or prosperous colonial settlers in New Zealand. Others advertise the skills of the artist. All carry with them stories from the past into the present.

I stand up | Matika maranga

What difference does art make? Created from the 1950s to the 1990s, these works span a time of enormous political and social change.

Colin McCahon

A group of Colin McCahon’s most important works are on display coinciding with the centenary of the artist’s birth.

Read more about the Colin McCahon works in Tūrangawaewae

Janet Lilo – Top16

In this gallery, you’ve entered a giant, three-dimensional profile page. Lilo explores how social media allows us to shape our identities online – and reinvent the self-portrait form.

Read more about Janet Lilo – Top16

Guide to Toi Art in New Zealand Sign Language

Exhibition highlights Taonga whakaatu

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