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Toi Art

Discover our world of art, featuring new, exciting commissions alongside the national art collection.

  • Where | Ki hea Levels 4 & 5
  • Cost | Te utu Free entry
  • Detail of the artwork ‘Counting Memories’, featuring black strands of wool and white numbers hanging in the voids between the threads
    Chiharu Shiota: The web of time

    Chiharu Shiota: The web of time

    The web of time, an installation by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota, creates the vision of a night sky studded with constellations of numbers.

    Opening soon
    Opens 12 Dec 2020

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • Closeup of a tattoo on a man's thighs
    Tatau: Sāmoan Tattooing and Photography

    Tatau: Sāmoan Tattooing and Photography

    Pain. Identity. Innovation. Experience Sāmoan tattooing through the lenses of four photographers – across time, in Sāmoa, Aotearoa New Zealand, and beyond.

    On now
    9 Nov 2019 – 8 Nov 2020

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • Black and white photo of two children playing on the floor in a big room with a view of other houses and the harbour.
    Modern Living: Design in 1950s New Zealand

    Modern Living: Design in 1950s New Zealand

    The 1952 Auckland exhibition Art and Design introduced New Zealanders to a vision for a more equal, happier way of life that grew from the devastation of World War II. Modern Living offers a lens into this ground-breaking exhibition, and an exciting era of new design in Aotearoa.

    On now
    22 Aug 2020 – 23 May 2021

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • Colin McCahon’s Walk (Series C) hangs on a wall in Toi Art
    Tūrangawaewae: Art and New Zealand

    Tūrangawaewae: Art and New Zealand

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

    On now
    Long-term exhibition

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

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    Kaleidoscope: Abstract Aotearoa

    Kaleidoscope: Abstract Aotearoa

    An exploration of colour, shape, and pattern in the Pacific.

    On now
    Long-term exhibition

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

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    Tiffany Singh: Indra’s bow & Total internal reflection

    Tiffany Singh: Indra’s bow & Total internal reflection

    A rainbow that encourages us to acknowledge the spectrum of colours present in our everyday lives, and an experimental light installation that invites us to choose a colour based on how we feel right now.

    On now
    Long-term exhibition

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

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    Janet Lilo: Top16

    Janet Lilo: Top16

    Enter a giant, three-dimensional profile page.

    On now
    Long-term exhibition

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

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    Jeena Shin: Movement image time. Te Papa

    Jeena Shin: Movement image time. Te Papa

    With this art work, Jeena Shin responds to the architecture and environment of the space.

    On now
    Temporary display

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • Ariel view of a ring-shaped island
    Faka-Tokelau: Living with Change

    Faka-Tokelau: Living with Change

    Explore Tokelau’s unique way of life, faka-Tokelau, through the lenses of two New Zealand photographers. Glenn Jowitt visited in 1981, Andrew Matautia 36 years later, in 2017.

    Closing soon
    Temporary exhibition

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • A yellow T shape separates three bold blocks of colour: red above, black on the bottom right, and a greyish block on the bottom right
    Colin McCahon at Te Papa

    Colin McCahon at Te Papa

    A group of Colin McCahon’s most important works are on display in our Toi Art galleries, coinciding with the centenary of the artist’s birth.

    On now
    Temporary displays

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

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    Art Studio: Colour

    Art Studio: Colour

    Explore a magical world of colour – create, play, draw, discuss.

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    Audio guide: What I see

    Audio guide: What I see

    What do a scientist, an art curator, or a musician see when they look at abstract art?

  • Woman looks in a room filled with colour while wearing headphones
    Hear colour: Total internal reflection

    Hear colour: Total internal reflection

    What does colour sound like? Select your own healing soundscape, created in collaboration with composer Steven Hue, to add to your experience of ‘Total internal reflection’.

  • Students and a teacher stand in front of a wall of paintings
    Toi Art for educators

    Toi Art for educators

    Book a curriculum-linked school programme or self-guided visit to explore Toi Art. Be inspired and challenged by our learning specialists and learning resources. Discover a learning experience you’ll love.

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    Read, watch, play: Art

    Read, watch, play: Art

    Explore the work of artists such as Tiffany Singh, Simon Denny, Colin McCahon, and Rita Angus through videos, podcasts, and in-depth articles.

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    Art and Photography at Te Papa

    Art and Photography at Te Papa

    Browse our online collection of watercolours, drawings, photographs, and sculptures, spanning landscapes, portraits, and abstract pieces from New Zealand and around the world.

  • Mannequins dressed in Pacific inspired fashion
    Past exhibitions

    Past exhibitions

    Look at exhibitions presented at Te Papa, going back to 1998.

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    Rita Angus: New Zealand Modernist

    Rita Angus: New Zealand Modernist

    This exhibition has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Rita Angus created a distinctive vision of a new, modern New Zealand. This landmark exhibition celebrates 40 years of her work.

    Opening soon
    To be confirmed

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • Two framed paintings in the shape of a head and torso depict a desert landscape with a city in the distance and tables in the foreground. On the tables are an empty glass and a bunch of grapes
    Dalí and the Surrealists: Masterpieces from Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

    Dalí and the Surrealists: Masterpieces from Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

    Surrealism is one of the most important and influential art movements of the 20th century. This exhibition brings Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen’s world-class collection of Surrealist art from Rotterdam to Te Papa.

    Opening soon
    Jun – Oct 2021

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga