New exhibition raises an ‘island of indigenous safety’ to centre the healing mechanisms of Māori culture
Māreikura opens at immigration museum in August
Traditional Māori cultural ways of being are portrayed in a contemporary, dramatic show of story, place and community in Māreikura - Ka rere te rongoā (the medicine flows), a new exhibition opening at Immigration Museum, Friday 30 August.
Created by Māori storyteller Irihipeti Waretini as part of the Culture Makers program, the exhibition features 15 stunning photographic portraits of Māori women with moko kauae (traditional chin tattoos), multimedia art, film and a carved pou (pillar).
A term she learnt from one of her mentors, an ‘island of Indigenous safety’ is a ‘creative healing space that is starved of any experiences of British cultural dominance’, said Irihipeti.
‘Moko kauae has direct systemic healing mechanisms for Māori and anyone who beholds us wearing it. So naturally, it would be a key part of my first solo exhibition.’
The exhibition aims to communicate the strength and power of the Māori matriarchy.
‘It is clear from history that wāhine Māori occupied very important leadership positions in traditional society — positions of military, spiritual and political significance,’ said Irihipeti.
‘When the missionaries and early settlers arrived in Aotearoa, they brought with them their culturally specific understandings of the role and status of women, which was and is very demeaning to the importance and status of the Māori Matriarchy within Māori society.
‘Every opportunity we take to centre our Māreikura, we are returning to the ways in which we acknowledge the natural order of the universe, the interrelationship or whanaungatanga of all living things to one another and to the environment, and the overarching principle of balance, and securing an Indigenous future.”
Providing tools and spaces of healing for the self-determination of the very communities who have fed and raised her and her daughter, Irihipeti brings light to dark spaces and conversations through the mediums of contemporary Māori art in multimedia, performance art, photography, film and soundscapes.
'Māreikura embraces the spirit of Immigration Museum, fostering cultural connection and belonging,' said Museums Victoria CEO & Director Lynley Crosswell.
‘This exhibition embodies Culture Makers’ vision of promoting inclusivity and social harmony, building on Museums Victoria’s commitment to breaking down barriers to participation for diverse practitioners and audiences.’
Culture Makers has been made possible thanks to the generous support of The Scanlon Foundation.
For further information visit the Melbourne Museum website Māreikura - Immigration Museum (museumsvictoria.com.au).
Interviews available with Artist Irihipeti Waretini on request.
Mareikura - Ka rere te rongoā
Launch event: Thursday 29th August, 5.30pm
Open: 30 August – 23 February 2025
Location: Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders St, Melbourne
Tickets: on sale at Immigration Museum and online here – Adults $15, Seniors $10, Members/children free.
