Kā mihi o te wā o Hineraumati, Meri Kirihimete

As we wrap up 2025, thank you for joining us for this final instalment of ArtPost, the Dunedin Public Art Gallery’s online newsletter. It has been a pleasure to share our exhibitions, programmes, events and acquisitions with you throughout another extraordinary year.

We began with a landmark project by Mataaho Collective, our 2025 Aotearoa New Zealand Visiting Artists. Their monumental installation Hautāmiro set the tone for a year defined by ambition, innovation, and deep cultural resonance. As the year began, we were also proud to support Dunedin iD Fashion Week with THIS IS NOM*d, celebrating the remarkable 40-year career of designer Margi Robertson and the enduring influence of her iconic label. It was a strong affirmation of the creative energy that defines our city.

Another major highlight was Unutai e! Unutai e!, Anne Noble’s collaboration with Kāi Tahu. We opened the exhibition as the iwi’s Statement of Claim for rangatiratanga over freshwater in Te Wai Pounamu was being heard in the Christchurch High Court. The exhibition underscored art’s vital role in evidencing, amplifying, and honouring this kaupapa of national significance. Unutai e! Unutai e! has now opened at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, so you can catch it again if you are in Ōtautahi over the summer.

H.K. Taiaroa: Kua marara hoki ngā mana o tōna kaha ki runga i te katoa was another important exhibition in 2025. Bringing together taonga, archival material and contemporary art, the show honoured the legacy of H.K. Taiaroa, a major Ngāi Tahu leader who spent decades advocating for the Crown to uphold its Treaty land purchase obligations and protect key cultural and resource rights. His work ensured Ngāi Tahu grievances remained visible nationally, and today he stands as a symbol of steadfast leadership whose efforts underpin the iwi’s modern resurgence.

We were thrilled to present Michael Zavros: Meet the Zavros’s, an important international exhibition and residency project that will be continuing over the summer months. We also launched Artfall, our new biannual magazine that expands onthe stories and conversations that begin in our galleries. Contact the Gallery if you wish to receive a hard copy of Issue 2, which is due out in April next year.

Our heartfelt thanks go to all the artists, lenders and partners who made this year’s programme possible. And a special thank you to you, our online audience. We have loved connecting with you in 2025. Let’s stay in touch.

Noho ora mai
Cam McCracken
Director, Dunedin Public Art Gallery

[image: Michael Zavros Dad likes summer 2020. Giclée print on cotton rag paper. Courtesy of the artist.]