Beyond the Future: Papers from the Third Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

FF: I still don't th ink it's a satisfactory explanation . I just don't th ink you're aware of the history in this country to give such an opin ion to an international aud ience. TM : There were a lot of very glib simpl ifications and generalisations in that paper, wh ich is partly a consequence of having to cover a lot in a short space of time. The act of genocide against Indigenous people wh ich began with the arrival of wh ite settlement was still continuing in the 20th century with poison ings, shootings, various other forms of attempts to eradicate the Indigenous peoples of Australia. It was a physical battle that was waged until certainly the living memory of most middle-aged people in this room . I don't know that it is fought on quite the same terms now, but as Fiona has mentioned Aboriginal groups and Ind igenous groups throughout Australia continue to fight for their land , but usually now through the courts rather than in terms of armed confrontations. That's also a very glib, contracted version of the story, but for international visitors it perhaps gives more of the detail. Julianne Sumich, lntermedia, Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, New Zealand : New Zealand art is 'scruffy'? Examples of 'grunge'? Michael Parekowhai's art is anyth ing but. Could you comment on why you mention his name so often as an example of New Zealand art in terms of scruffy and grunge, and what are the sources of your research on New Zealand art? Comment from the floor: There are so many points of Tim's paper which I feel are very contentious and perhaps it would be more interesting to direct questions to the other speakers who perhaps treated the · audience with a l ittle b it more respect. TM: I was hoping there'd be some response to the paper, that was the idea of having it a two way session . My research on New Zealand was done in New Zealand with the guidance of Robert Leonard, the Director of Artspace in Auckland . My attempts to write about New Zealand were initially dismissed by Robert as being I suppose too flattering and I felt that if I'd been overly rosy in the picture I'd created in writing for the Trienn ial catalogue it might be useful to give a kind of antidote by describing what I would say is a very hard-core and incisive and intellectual ised grunge element of art in New Zealand which is more radical than its equ ivalent in Australia, possibly because the social situation it addresses is a more difficult one. I would never want to offend an aud ience, but certainly the idea of provoking an audience seems to be part of the function of a conference of this sort to address the other question. JS: It just seems that it would be obvious to show examples of scruffy and grunge than to talk about scruffy and grunge which may be one aspect of New Zealand art, and then the only person you talk about is Michael Parekowhai. TM : Because h is work is available to be seen in the exhibition. JS: But it just seems as if you only know M ichael Parekowhai's art. It just seems incred ibly limited when you're talking about New Zealand art and you can only mention one person who doesn't fit the description you give. TM : I was talking about Michael more maybe in terms of Polynesian culture. JS: Polynesian culture. What do you mean by that in terms of h is art? He's a New Zealand artist. TM : OK, I won't refer to anybody in ethn ic terms then, but artists like Ronnie Van Haupt and Mi ke Stevenson don't really have any comparable figures in Australia. I don't know if it's possible with a slide show to give enough depth so that's why I was simply referring to styles rather than actually ill ustrating. JS: I think your description of your own talk as glib and superficial is accurate, and it does not fit or give a true representation of New Zealand art in any way. 73