Projects

El Barroco de Aotearoa

El Barroco de Aotearoa is an exhibition of paintings, installations, sculptures, photography and moving images by six New Zealand artists: Catherine Bagnall, Jae Hoon Lee, Joanna Langford, Reweti Arapere, Simon Morris and Terry Urbahn.

Mexico & Aotearoa New Zealand

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El Barroco de Aotearoa website

Catherine Bagnall. El Barroco de Aotearoa, MUCA 2011 (detail))

El Barroco de Aotearoa explores the idea that New Zealand has become a baroque culture or has baroque tendencies. While New Zealand tends to think of itself as modern, protestant and rather dour, the exhibition artists demonstrate characteristics of the historical baroque style, such as chaotic excess, colour, complexity and irreverent extravagance.

El Barroco de Aotearoa was presented at Museo Universitario de Ciencias y Arte (MUCA) between December 2011 and February 2012, and by the Embassy of Mexico in Wellington later in 2012. MUCA is one of the most important venues for contemporary experimental arts and media in Mexico City.

The exhibition came about through a partnership between Richard Reddaway, Whiti o Rehua School of Art (Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University), and Gonzalo Ortega, MUCA. They developed the idea for the exhibition during a tour of artists in New Zealand, which they used to learn about the similarities and differences between New Zealand and Mexican culture. This project was supported by Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University’s International Visiting Researcher Fund and College of Creative Arts Strategic Research Fund, the Embassy of Mexico, New Zealand Film Archive, Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Creative NZ Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa.

El Barroco de Aotearoa was the catalyst for other opportunities for New Zealand and Latin American artists to work together and learn from each other. Initially, it resulted in Richard Reddaway and his Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University colleagues Raúl Ortega Ayala and Dr Huhana Smith developing a strategy for Whiti o Rehua School of Art. The strategy focuses on creating scholarly connections with colleges, universities and government bodies in Latin America and the Caribbean, and diplomatic institutions with an interest in heritage and culture.

Since the strategy was developed, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University has continued to develop cultural exchanges by bringing researchers from Latin America to Wellington: artists Eduardo Abaroa and Martín Sastre, curator Ruth Estévez (Ruth curated the Bienal de São Paulo) and artistic director José Roca (José directed Rīvus, the 23rd Biennale of Sydney). Then, in 2018, Richard Reddaway, Terry Urbahn and Catherine Bagnall worked with staff and students at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú to produce an exhibition in Lima. Through its artist residency programme Te Whare Hēra, in September 2023 Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University will be hosting Colombian artist Julieth Morales.

Published 02 November 2023