Something old, something new at library
The Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington turns 100 this year, amilestone being celebrated with an art exhibition showing both old content and new.
In 1920 the library opened to the public, based on the collections bequeathed to the Crown by Alexander Horsburgh Turnbull in 1918.
Its heritage collections are being celebrated with a contemporary twist at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pu¯kenga Whakaata.
Everything Old is New Again: The Turnbull Library at 100 examines historical documents, artworks and portraits from Aotearoa’s past.
The library was housed in Turnbull House, built by Turnbull to house his collections, until the late 1980s.
When he died, the house and library opened to the public, but the collection soon outgrew it, and the library moved into the National Library.
For the celebratory exhibition, selections of heritage collections are being shown alongside new artworks.
Curator Fiona Oliver describes the exhibition as pairing old with new by bringing treasured artefacts into new and important conversations.
‘‘Contemporary artists have made new or have provided existing artworks based on original Alexander Turnbull Library collection items.
‘‘Theirworks investigate, challenge and shine alternative light on a group of colonial paintings, books and photographs, calling into question the cultural conditions in which they were created,’’ Oliver said.
There are seven works from the Turnbull collection shown alongside nine from contemporary artists: John Pule, Seraphine Pick, Sarah Munro, Melanie Tangaere
Baldwin, Lisa Reihana and Heather Straka.
The gallery workedwith the artists to identify items in the library collection that resonated with what theywanted to express.
‘‘Some of the artists chose their own historical pairing, and some created new works especially for the show,’’ Oliver said.
Munro, a featured artist, created a handembroidered version of the famous Tupaia sketch showing crayfish trading with Joseph Banks.
Other exhibits include a lithograph from 1997 by Niuean artist Pule alongside a photograph from 1900 of New Zealand Premier Richard Seddon visiting Togia, the patu-iki (king) of Niue, before New Zealand annexed the island.
Assistant curator Paul Johnston said the exhibition didn’t shy away from the country’s colonial past.
‘‘It encourages us to engage with our history in meaningful ways, and think about the ways that the past has shaped what New Zealand is today, and learn from that.’’
The exhibition is on until December 13.