Rising to the Challenge: The Emergence of Pacific Curatorship in Aotearoa

Abstract

The main objective of this thesis is to demonstrate the emergence of Pacific curatorship, that is exhibitions curated by Pacific people, over a period that spans 1960 to 2020. This thesis examines the importance of curatorship and its vital role in establishing and advancing the field of contemporary Pacific art in Aotearoa. The rise of the Pacific curator is a relatively recent development and this thesis charts its emergence over a sixty year period, following a series of succession points spanning from the inception of Pacific art in Aotearoa in the 1960s. From this foundation, it follows the development of Pacific art as a discipline within New Zealand art and the curatorial definitions of Pacific art from Pacific and non-Pacific curators alike. Finally, it traces these different threads to the professionalization of Pacific curators.