Staying Power

On Saturday 2 May, two new exhibitions will open at Dunedin Public Art Gallery: Staying Power and Imogen Taylor: From Behind.

Looking at performance as a central element, Staying Power brings together moving image works and installation by Kalisolaite ‘Uhila, Angela Tiatia and John Vea, drawn from the Gallery’s collection as well as works loaned directly from the artists. We have also had the pleasure of collaborating with the Ōtepoti Pasifika Arts Collective in the creation of a space within Staying Power that explores expressions of talanoa, reciprocity and cultural continuity through a series of events and experiences.

From Behind, which was developed by City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi and curated by Dr Kirsty Baker, 'brings together new and recent paintings by Imogen Taylor which playfully engage with the weight of art's histories'. Being shown in Ōtepoti Dunedin for the first time, these works were painted across two locations, Aotearoa New Zealand and London, where Taylor has been living since 2024.

On Saturday 2 May, the Gallery has programmed two free talks which will allow our audiences to hear directly from artists and curators involved with these projects.

At 11am Imogen Taylor and Kirsty Baker will speak about the exhibition From Behind.

At 3pm John Vea (Tonga, Aotearoa New Zealand) will speak about his works in Staying Power and his wider practice.

Noho ora mai
Lauren Gutsell
Kairauhī Curator
Dunedin Public Art Gallery

[above: Angela Tiatia Holding on 2015. Still (detail) single-channel HD video. Collection of Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan + Strumpf, Sydney.]