Archive News
A new ship comes to Tauranga Moana - 01 Oct 2009
Artist Tracey Williams didn’t appreciate the diversity and richness of Tauranga Moana’s history as a child growing up in the area, until she undertook research for her new installation at Tauranga Art Gallery, My Ship / Tënei Wakahëra.
The exhibition is currently on show in the Gallery’s Atrium.
In the multi-media exhibition, Williams explores the idea that cultural artefacts are often associated with fixed identities and meanings, but can be used in a manner that challenges our preconceptions.
Williams has constructed a custom built ship as centrepiece for the installation, along with images of galaxies as seen through portholes or telescopes. The ship acts as a symbol for Tauranga’s harbour – as one of the first settlements of both Maori and European, as a link to trade, access to landfall and retreat during times of war, and as a port. It also represents the proximity of the Gallery to the sea.
Williams has introduced various elements to the installation that challenge viewers to critique these narratives, such as cladding the ship in textiles and women’s craftwork. Because documented history has primarily been recorded by men, Williams wanted to uncover the diversity of the women’s stories about the region.
“I wanted to unpack the historical narratives of Tauranga Moana, with particular respect to women, who until recently, rarely made it to the history books,” says Williams. “But I realised this would only favour one perspective, either Maori or European. So this is a poetic interpretation of ordinary people’s stories – not the heroes.”
“No two people’s history is the same. It’s like when we look out into space, we each see and feel different things. My Ship is a poetic story about the journeys, the hopes and emotions of all those who helped to get us where we are now, but were not acknowledged in recorded history.”
Williams grew up in the Bay of Plenty living at Te Puke, Tauranga and Rangiuru, attending Tauranga Girls’ College before embarking on her art career. She now works as an artist in Auckland and also teaches at the University of Auckland's Elam School of Fine Art.
Tracey Williams will hold a floortalk on My Ship / Tënei Wakahëra at 3pm, Saturday 31 October.
The exhibition runs until March 2010
© 2009