Our journey began with mana whenua and the placing of kōhatu in the gallery foyer. In the collection show Hurahia ana kā Whetū which opened in June, Ross Hemera and Cath Brown, the advance party, set the scene for our arrival, Paemanu: Tauraka Toi.

Co-curated by a team of senior Kāi Tahu contemporary artists and Paemanu trustees - Areta Wilkinson, Ayesha Green, Lonnie Hutchinson, Martin Awa Clarke Langdon, Nathan Pōhio, Peter Robinson, Rachael Rakena, Rongomaiaia Te Whaiti, Ross Hemera, Simon Kaan, Kiri Jarden and Vicki Lenihan. The exhibition will feature newly commissioned works and usher in a new generation of artists alongside well-established practitioners.