17Oct

17Apr

Talanoa, Colloquies of The Unrecognised Worker

Stories gleaned from community and retold back to that community as art works are the foundation of John Vea’s new show.

The show will include existing sculptural and moving image works alongside a new performance piece based on interactions John has had with people in Hawke’s Bay.
The underlying thread of the exhibition is the notion of Talanoa.

John explains: “To Talanoa, you have a personal encounter with another person in conversation. The process of Talanoa is used in a respectful journalistic mode and sensibility for collecting stories of the everyday.”

There’s a rich storytelling element in John’s work that resonates as truly Pacific, not just in the content and themes of the work but also in the way it is created and presented.
Shared stories told in an allegorical context become almost works of protest as statements about workers rights and minority groups are explored.

John Vea

17 October – 17 April 2016

MTG Hawke’s Bay, 1 Tennyson St, Napier