11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

were later recounted and explored collectively by an intergenerational group of 38 Paemanu members, who undertook a hīkoi (journey) along their ancestral awa (river), Waitaki, to arrive at their chiefly mauka (mountain), Aoraki, in late 2023. One photograph taken on the hīkoi depicts a large group, dressed in warm clothes, walking shoes and rain jackets, standing on the banks of a majestic lake, a silver expanse of fresh water in which sculptural- like formations of river ice float, while snow-covered mountains appear in the distance. As the members of the collective huddle together in the cold, they display an obvious warmth and sense of connection. This hīkoi provided an opportunity for the members of Paemanu to strengthen their relationships and their understanding of the physical and spiritual importance of the Waitaki. It also mirrors Paemanu’s approach to engaging with the context and the peoples of the Maiwar. From this experience, Paemanu developed four creative aho (strands) to engage members of the collective with their hosts and audiences across the Tasman to bring the two rivers together — so the Waitaki and the Maiwar could meet. In the words of the collective: Awa ki te Awa: Taki Mai, Karaka Mai, Waiata Mai. First we bring forth the female voice, in line with our traditions. We call to each other as a way of greeting and acknowledging a coming together of people. This is karaka. As manuhiri (visitors), we bring our cultural traditions, while acknowledging those of the home people, the people of country. 2 Upon entering Paemanu’s space in the Triennial, visitors are greeted by a discrete cluster of assemblages titled Karaka . These works are inspired by the message sticks used by Aboriginal peoples to invite other groups to participate in celebration and exchange. They also reflect Māori customs of using rakau kōrero (talking sticks) and karaka (ceremonial calls) for intertribal communication. To make the assemblages, ten Paemanu wāhine (women) each created a range of small sculptural objects from a variety of materials, including harakeke (flax), pungapunga (pumice), paewai (driftwood), woollen blankets, ceramics, weathered steel, plastic, and bricks and stones from riverbeds in Te Waipounamu. Carefully selected — and, in some cases, shaped — these materials have been drilled or pierced with a central hole, and then threaded like beads onto steel rods. These emissaries of goodwill stand lightly on the land, seeking to establish a space of peaceful and respectful exchange. Accompanied by waiata (song) written especially for the exhibition, the works acknowledge the temporary nature of Paemanu’s time on the lands by the Maiwar. Paemanu’s limited time on Turrbal and Yuggera lands is further acknowledged by senior artist Ross Hemera. Hemera is described by members of the collective as their Poutokomanawa (the central ridgepole, or heart post, of a meeting house). As the ridgepole provides structural support to the house, so Hemera provides stability and guidance to the collective. For Ana Whakairo , Hemera led a group of artists to create a wall drawing using crayon, charcoal and pastels that continues the ancient tradition of Ngāi Tahu mark-making. Drawn directly on the Gallery's walls, Ana Whakairo ensures that the wairua (tribal spirit) of the iwi is present throughout the course of the exhibition, honouring the relationships established with the Turrbal and Yuggera, albeit temporarily. The name Paemanu is inspired by mark‑making, specifically a rock painting of a birdman figure with baby birds perched on its outstretched wings, which is located at Te Manunui, near Timaru, in the Canterbury region of Te Waipounamu. Hemera first drew the group’s attention to this figure, encouraging the members of the then‑fledgling collective to consider Paemanu as a name. Translating as ‘collarbone’, Paemanu is comprised of the words ‘pae’, to perch, and ‘manu’, meaning bird. As Hemera shared with Aunty Raelene Baker on the banks of the Maiwar in 2023, a bird’s perch is a launching platform, and Paemanu’s vision is to create opportunities for Ngāi Tahu artists to soar — through exhibitions, residencies and simply spending time together. Installation of Tīrewa as part of 'Paemanu: Nohoaka Toi', Toi Moroki Centre of Contemporary Art, 2017 / Image courtesy: The artists The bird image also encapsulates the notions of nurture and sanctuary, and the idea of learning being passed from an older to a younger generation — the concepts of whakapapa and whanaukataka (human and family connections). 3 There is significance, Hemera has further explained, in the group choosing a symbol from the art of their tīpuna (ancestors): We have always taken our ancestors with us; this time it will be no different. We are taking our wai (water) with us. Awa ki te Awa: Taki Mai, Karaka Mai, Waiata Mai. We come to acknowledge your river! 4 The heart of the Paemanu presentation is embodied by two large architectural sculptures that represent the collective’s third project titled Tīrewa . Continuously practised Ngāi Tahu customs of mahika kai (food gathering) inform this project, and Tīrewa is named and shaped after the traditional structures used for drying food. The work enacts the values of manaakitaka (hospitality), kaitiakitaka (guardianship) and whanaukataka (human and family connections) that flow from the important cultural practices of collecting and exchanging food. Recalling the humble, light and temporal ways in which tīrewa were traditionally constructed, Paemanu brings a contemporary sensibility to these frames, using locally sourced materials for the A-frame constructions of their traditional antecedents. Imagined as a site for creative and cultural exchange with members of First Nations communities in Queensland, Tīrewa provides a physical frame for some 100 prints created by Paemanu. Embodying responses to the theme of awa (river), these artworks will be removed from the tīrewa and exchanged, specifically with local First Nations peoples, during the exhibition. Further opportunities for exchange with First Nations peoples in Brisbane via the tīrewa have been developed with the Kaihaukai Collective. As the title suggests — kai (food), hau (breath), kai (food) — this component of Paemanu’s presentation also focuses on the stories and knowledge relating to the exchange of food. Working with First Nations Australian chefs of Three Little Birds, the Kaihaukai Collective involves a series of events that encourage the sharing of stories around traditional food gathered from land and sea. Documentation of an earlier exchange, displayed in the 10th Triennial in 2021, shows Chris Jordan preparing local Queensland fish, which he rubs with native herbs, and then roasts, wrapped in paperbark, on hot coals. ARTISTS+PROJECTS ASIAPACIFICTRIENNIAL 166 — 167