Vanya Taulealo Artist and Plant Lover

14/05/2026

11/05/2026

08/05/2026

07/05/2026

07/05/2026

07/05/2026

Aotearoa New Zealand has unveiled its national pavilion, 𝘛𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘬𝘪 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦, a major new exhibition by Fiona Pardington (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Ngāti Kahungunu, Clan Cameron of Erracht) ONZM, at the opening of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

𝘛𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘬𝘪 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 presents 17 striking, large-scale portraits of taxidermied manu from museum collections across Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. Among them are kākā, kea, takahē, tūī, kākāpō and more. Each exquisite image reveals and affirms the mauri (life force) of the manu.

Of her work, Fiona says: “Each manu is a testament to the interconnectedness of science, memory and spirit. Bringing their presence to Venice is both a call to action and an honour.”

The public can view 𝘛𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘬𝘪 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 and the rest of the Biennale, from 9 May to 22 November 2026. The exhibition will also be presented for New Zealand audiences at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū from mid-2027.

Read more: https://creativenz.govt.nz/news-and-blog/2026/05/06/02/34/02/aotearoa-manu-take-world-art-stage-as-61st-venice-biennale-opens

Image: Fiona Pardington, Taharaki Skyside installation (detail). Photography by Neil Pardington.

28/04/2026

𝗔𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗮 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿 - 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝘂 𝗙𝗲𝘂'𝘂 & 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸
Bergman Gallery booth 16
Friday, 1 May 12pm.

Fatu Feu’u ONZM and Alison Leauanae will be present at the Bergman Gallery booth, discussing new works created especially for Aotearoa Art Fair 2026.

A pioneering figure in Pacific contemporary art, Fatu Feu’u has spent more than five decades developing a distinctive visual language grounded in fa’a Sāmoa. Drawing on motifs associated with tatau (tattoo), siapo (barkcloth), ufimata (masks), lalaga (weaving), the gogo (frigate bird), and references to Lapita pottery, his paintings transform traditional Samoan iconography into powerful contemporary compositions rich in symbolism and cultural narrative.

Alison Leauanae’s hand-stitched works examine soʻotaga—connection—through carefully structured fields of thread and textile. Her practice engages lived experience, fragmented memory, identity, and purpose, translating these themes into layered visual systems that interlace her Scottish and Samoan heritage.

Visit the Bergman Gallery booth to meet the artists and experience the works in person.