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Artist collective wins award for woven installation

Swatches | July 1, 2024 | By:

The artists of the Mataaho Collective (from left) Terri Te Tau, Bridget Reweti, Sarah Hudson and Erena Arapere-Baker posed underneath Takapau.

The Mataaho Collective, a group of four Ma¯ori artists based in Aotearoa, New Zealand, won a Golden Lion award for best artist in the exhibit “Stranieri Ovunque — Foreigners Everywhere” at the 60th International Art Exhibition in Venice, Italy, for the piece Takapau.

Erena Arapere-Baker, one of the four artists of the Mataaho Collective, installing Takapau. The artwork measures 24 by 12 by 4 meters (79 by 39 by 13 feet). Images: Mataaho Collective

Takapau will be on display until Nov. 24 and is woven using high-visibility polyester truck straps, stainless steel buckles and J-hooks. It was inspired by wha¯riki takapau, finely woven mats used at special events such as weddings, births and tangihangas, traditional Ma¯ori ceremonies to mourn those who have passed away. Directly underneath, it is dark and enclosed with limited visible light, representing a nurturing space, while from the side, it appears reflective and open.

Takapau installed in Venice, Italy, at the 60th International Art Exhibition, where it received a Golden Lion award for best artist in “Stranieri Ovunque — Foreigners Everywhere.” It took the collective five days to install it because it had to be entirely rewoven. Image: Creative New Zealand/Ben Stewart
The lighting plays a part in Takapau‘s appearance. Image: Venice Biennial/Marco Zorzanello
A close-up of Takapau. Image: Venice Biennial/Marco Zorzanello

“It means so much to be given a platform here, we know it will inspire upcoming queer and indigenous artists,” Mataaho Collective member Sarah Hudson said at the awards ceremony in April.

Tuakirikiri created in 2023 for the exhibit “Soft and Weak Like Water” at the 14th Gwangju Biennale in South Korea. The use of orange pays homage to Parawhenuamea, the Ma¯ori embodiment of fresh water, and represents safety, acknowledging the people who work with these materials. Image: Mataaho Collective/14th Gwangju Biennale

Established in 2012, the collective includes Terri Te Tau, Ph.D., Bridget Reweti, Sarah Hudson and Erena Arapere-Baker. They are known for creating large-scale textile-based installations grounded in indigenous Maori practices, specifically te whare pora (house of weaving), the customary art of Ma¯ori weaving. 

AKA, a 14-meter-tall (46-foot-tall) structure made from blue-green copolymer marine rope used in the fishing and farming industries in New Zealand and steel. Image: Mataaho Collective/National Gallery of Canada

The collective’s latest work is Tuakirikiri, or “gravel” in the language Te Reo Ma¯ori, created in 2023 for the exhibit “Soft and Weak Like Water” for the 14th Gwangju Biennale in South Korea. It is made of tubular slackline webbing, cam buckles and S-hooks and measures 8 by 8 by 4 meters (26 by 26 by 13 feet).

According to the collective’s website, the use of orange pays homage to Parawhenuamea, the Ma¯ori embodiment of fresh water, who carries ancient life in the form of orange iron that gets filtered through soil, plants and people. The color also represents safety and acknowledges the people who work with these materials.

The Mataaho Collective installing Mahuika in 2019 at the Honolulu Biennial at the Hawaii State Art Museum. It features 10 hand-sewn pennant flags made from red and yellow barrier mesh, wool and cable ties. Image: Mataaho Collective

Some of the collective’s recent works include AKA, a 14-meter-tall (46-foot-tall) installation created for the 2019 “Àbadakone” exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Ont., Canada. It is made from blue-green co-polymer marine rope used in the fishing and farming industries in New Zealand. Mahuika is an installation of 10 hand-sewn pennant flags for the 2019 Honolulu Biennial made from red and yellow barrier mesh, wool and cable ties. Named after the deity Mahuika, who introduced fire to her descendants, it represents female leadership.

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