Day 1: Create & Challenge

Day 2: Protest & Demonstrate

Day 3: Tour & Explore

The Future of Monuments

Today, many want to pull down war memorials as expressions of bad politics, especially those memorials that legitimise evil and injustice. Are there 'good' war memorials—and who decides? Can we make use of 'bad' war memorials? How do we understand miscellaneous contemporary war-memorial projects, like Peter Eisenman's Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin and Ground Zero in New York, or Weta and Te Papa's The Scale of War and Peter Jackson 'colourising' World War I footage? What form could future memorials take?

Everyday Mysticism: Artists Respond 

8pm 

Sculptor Glen Hayward’s practice brings the everyday into the gallery in profound and absurd ways. Reconsidering familiar objects is a concern shared by other artists. Join us as they discuss their practices and why they find commonplace objects compelling. 

Photo: Tony Webster, Christopher Columbus Statue Torn Down at Minnesota State Capitol

Urn (Live)

9pm

Sonic artists Thomas Carroll (Ngati Maru, Hauraki) and Rob Tyler respond to the themes of Matarau. Fusing taonga pūoro and modular synthesis, they incorporate rongoā plants as a modulation source, to create works inspired by Māori philosophy, cosmology and experimental noise music.  

IMAGE Glen Hayward: Wish You Were Here City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi 2022. Photo Elias Rodriguez.

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The Ten Largest, 1907. Photograph courtesy of Moderna Museet, Stockholm

Wheako Pōneke Experience Wellington announces two new appointments to leadership team

15 August 2024

Wheako Pōneke Experience Wellington is excited to announce the appointment of Ringatohu Toi Director Art and City Gallery Charlotte Davy and Wheako Pōneke Kaihautū Tānemahuta Gray.

Tumu Whakarae Chief Executive Diana Marsh says she is thrilled to have two appointments of such remarkable standing to help lead the organisation into a successful future.

Ringatohu Toi Director Art and City Gallery Wellington Charlotte Davy is currently Head of Art at Te Papa, where she led the high-profile redevelopment of New Zealand’s national art gallery Toi Art in
2018. Charlotte’s expertise is in creative direction and facilitation, arts strategy and exhibition programming and development. Through a long career facilitating international exhibitions she has also developed expertise in museum ethics and law. She was previously Head of Exhibitions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. She has taught both museum ethics and exhibition development for the University of Sydney Master of Museum Studies programme, and continues to guest lecture for the Institute of Art and Law in the UK.

“We are incredibly excited to have someone of Charlotte’s calibre lead the gallery with a strong vision which aligns with our city’s future”, says Diana.

Kaihautū Tānemahuta Gray (Ngāi Tahu, Rangitāne, Tainui) brings 30 years of professional experience in the performing arts industry, excelling as a director, producer, choreographer, and performer. He is respected as Kahukura / Kaiarataki Toi - CEO / Artistic Director of Taki Rua Theatre and Kairautaki Māori – Māori Strategic Advisor at Tāwhiri – Festival & Experiences including the Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts. He also has contracts with the World of WearableArt Awards (WOW) and the Performing Arts Network of New Zealand (PANNZ). He created and directed major contemporary bi-cultural large-scale productions Māui – One Man Against The Gods, Tiki Taane Mahuta and Hatupatu | Kurungaituku: A Forbidden Love which recently opened the Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts.

He has spent his life in Te Whanganui-a-Tara and has strong relationships with mana whenua. He already has several connections with Wheako Pōneke Experience Wellington across the years.

“This role includes providing support to all of our kaimahi to help them align with te ao Māori concepts and practices in their mahi and we are really delighted that Tānemahuta has been appointed to this position. We look forward to working with Tānemahuta as we develop a strong te ao Māori foundation and take collective responsibility for this across our organisation”, says Diana.

Wheako Pōneke Experience Wellington is Wellington City Council’s Arts, Culture and Heritage organisation and is responsible for City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi, Nōku te Ao Capital E, Te Waka Huia o Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho, Te Ara Whānui ki te Rangi Space Place, Cable Car Museum and Nairn Street Cottage.

These appointments are part of an Executive Leadership Team Realignment, confirmed in June 2024. Diana says the new leadership structure will best support the organisation in a time of change.

“The work that we do is crucial in promoting well-being, supporting the local economy, and enhancing Wellington as a vibrant city to live, love, visit, and enjoy. This leadership approach best equips and prepares us to continue to connect communities and deliver remarkable, arts, science and museum experiences now and for future generations.

“We are in a rapidly changing environment and facing significant pressure along with our arts and culture whānau and people in Wellington and across Aoteaora. We also have considerable challenges around four of our sites which are impacted by current or future work required for maintenance, upgrades and/or earthquake remediation.

“These leadership changes position us to make the most of significant opportunities with the development of Te Ngākau Square and the new and improved spaces that we will be occupying in the future. As well as working in challenging times, there are many exciting opportunities ahead.”

Wheako Pōneke is currently in the process of recruiting for the role of Director History and Science.