Bird is the word at new Kiwiana exhibition
New Zealanders – or Nu
Zullanders as we locals like to say – are a quirky bunch. Tucked away somewhere at the bottom of the South Pacific, we’ve managed to eke out a pretty good living for ourselves, despite being a small landmass populated by a relatively tiny tribe.
We’ve got our own way of doing things. We say things ‘duffrent’. And when we do fly across the Tasman to visit our Aussie neighbours, we go by ‘earplane’ (a large flying marchine) or ‘sivven four sivven’, and we leave our luggage at the ‘beggage chucken’.
When we travel further abroad – as nomadic adventurers tend to do – we’re often asked the question: ‘‘Why do you call yourself after a fluffy brown fruit?’’. Since many of our international brethren know more about the Chinese gooseberry – the kiwifruit – than they do know us for our famous flightless bird, they are more than likely to associate us with an ovalshaped edible berry.
But what makes this country unique is our native bird species – many of which cannot be found in any other country.
We also celebrate that uniqueness in our national identity, and in the way we decorate our homes and living spaces. Indeed, we are bird mad, us Kiwis. And a new exhibition at the Millennium Public Art Gallery examines this celebration of all things ‘‘birdy’’ in New Zealand.
The good people from the Museum of the Everyday who brought us last year’s stunning Whites Aviation exhibit – ‘Above the Long White Cloud’ have unveiled a new exhibition replete with those accoutrements of the New Zealand home, branded with the native bird.
Indeed, New Zealand in the 20th century could almost be defined by flourishing of native bird visual artefacts, iconic images that have become part of our daily lives.
If you are chopping an ‘ever cardeau’ (avocado) at home, you’ll need a colourful tea towel – usually decorated with a brightly coloured tui or kereru (wood pigeon) to clean up with. An ashtray not too far away with a kiwi bird embossed in the middle, and a drink perched on a pukeko coaster.
Native birds have flitted through the interiors of New Zealand homes since our boys returned home from World War I, with their – (Australian made, shh, don’t tell anyone) – Kiwi boot polish. Certainly, one of the main reasons why our national identify is so wrapped up with our love of birds is way we shaped our domestic environments to accommodate these sentimental items.
As the blurb for the exhibit states:
‘‘There was barely a kitchen in New Zealand that wasn’t enriched by objects of everyday use adorned with a bird or two. Sometimes they were made by hand, sometimes mass-produced by New Zealand manufacturers … What they all have in common is a celebration of our unique birdlife, and through that, a sense of how New Zealanders have seen and celebrated their unique identities as a people and a nation.’’
Skinner says that the way we branded our homes, said a lot about how New Zealanders were beginning to invent themselves:
‘‘In the 1930s and 1940s, a different kind of nationalism took over. Rather than try and show NZ distinctiveness through adopting Ma¯ ori art and culture and history, the Pa¯ keha¯ artists and writers tended to ignore the prior Ma¯ ori inhabitancy of the land. It was all about inventing New Zealand.
‘‘This is the bigger context for so many birds in the domestic homes of New Zealanders. We are concerned with our identity, and making sure we are unique in terms of our strong role in the British empire. Birds, which really do make Aotearoa distinctive, are a great way to signal this.’’
Walking into the gallery, you’ll feel right at home as the front wing has been fitted out to resemble like a mid-20th century house, complete with fireplace and kitchen table smothered in a tablecloth dotted with pictures of native birds. For some it’s a stroll down memory lane, for others it will just feel as familiar burned toast and Marmite.
‘‘But you do need to distinguish between souvenirs and the things that New Zealanders made and used in their homes,’’ says Dr Skinner.
‘‘Kiwi in the Kitchen mixes up quite different kinds of objects. Some would have appeared only in a flash home, while others would have only been in a working-class home. Some are souvenirs, and maybe never bought or used by New Zealanders.’’
Millennium Public Art Gallery Director Cressida Bishop says, that in accordance with the new New Zealand exhibits, there will also be plenty of activities for children to keep them busy over the school holidays (from April 14), including bird colouring books for the budding young artists, origami, jigsaw puzzles and quizzes.
‘‘I think nowadays people are starting to realise the value of these items, whereas before they may have been turfed,’’ says Bishop.
‘‘But then you look at some of these items and you think: someone made that, or someone treasured that. And that’s what the Museum of the Everyday is doing, highlighting the value of these objects from New Zealand’s history.’’
Kiwi in the Kitchen
Millennium Public Art Gallery, Blenheim, until May 6.
Kiwiana kids activities available during the school holiday from April 14-29.
Theatre
■ Emily Perkins adaptation of Ibsen’s original Doll’s House is set in present day NZ. We meet 40-somethings confronting the difference between the dream and the reality, where their past mistakes are coming back to haunt them. A dynamic script, with a talented all Blenheim cast at the Boathouse Theatre daily until April 13.
■ Blenheim Musical Theatre presents Mary Poppins the Broadway Musical at the ASB Theatre on April 20, 21 and 22. The practically perfect Mary Poppins arrives at Cherry Tree Lnafter George and Winifred Banks’ out of control children, Jane and Michael, have driven away yet another nanny. With help from the chimney-sweep Bert, Mary Poppins leads the family through a series of magical encounters and adventures that they will never forget.
■ Legendary Irish folk music duo Foster and Allen appear at the ASB Theatre on April 23 from 7pm to
9.30pm.
Music
■ Shaun Kirk, Howlin at the Mood tour at Le Cafe in Picton on April 13 from 6.30pm. Tickets are $15.
■ A performance featuring the creativity of pianist and composer Jonathan Crayford at the keys of an historic Steinway D Grand Piano. Saturday, April 14, 8pm at Le Cafe. Tickets $45 from Eventfinder.
■ Join in a Ukulele flash mob at The Vines Village on April 14 from 1pm to 4pm.
■ An evening at Pataka the Foodstore with Bruce and Helen aka ‘‘With Strings Attached’’ playing an eclectic mix of Irish, Scottish, Appalachian folk music and a bit of bluegrass. Enjoy a glass or two of Lake Chalice wine and delicious homemade treats on Tuesday, 7.30pm.
Exhibitions
■ Chasing the Light: Paintings by Ian Hamlin at the Yealands Estate Gallery, 204 High St, Blenheim, Open daily 10.30am to 4.30pm until Sunday,
April 22.
■ Facing Change – confronting social and sustainability issues, paintings and sculpture by Fatu Feu’u, Graham Bennett, Nigel Brown, at The Diversion gallery, 10 London Quay, Picton, until April 26. The gallery is open noon to 5pm Wednesday to Saturday or on request. Open Easter Saturday and Monday.
■ Kiwi in the Kitchen: An Eccentric History of Birds in the New Zealand Home. From wooden bellows embellished with a hand-painted tu¯¯ı to a shell covered Kiwi figurine, Kiwi in the Kitchen demonstrates how designs and motifs of native birds are highly visible in the domestic environment of 20th century Aotearoa. Millennium Public Art Gallery.
■ Mainland. A substantial exhibition of art related to the land Marlborough and the South Island of New Zealand. Most works are from the Gallery’s permanent collection and range in date from the 1860s to 2017. A variety of programmes will be offered in association with the exhibition. Millennium Public Art Gallery.