Skip to main content
Skip to footer Skip to Acknowledgement of Country
National Gallery of Australia
What's On Art & Artists Visit
Login
  1. Home
  2. National Gallery Exhibition History
  3. Present history

Present history

New Zealand photographs 1960s to the present

Exhibition
28 Jun 2013—15 Dec 2013
  • About

About


New Zealand has a complex history: rich with tradition and culture, though at times turbulent and bloody. Over recent decades, photographers have reflected on the meaning and ramifications of nationhood, often grounding their investigations in personal and wider histories.

The photographers in this display engage with the past in a number of ways. Noble and Peryer look back to earlier artists for inspiration. Semu, Barrar and Adams re-stage or re-interpret this earlier imagery in exciting and unexpected ways. The world that Reihana looks back to is a mythical one, but one she seeks to make real in the here and now. Through a meticulous documentation of their own times, Aberhart and Westra have made work that we now see as valuable witnesses to peoples changed or places long gone.

Work that engages with the past without contemporary relevance is itself irrelevant. Acknowledging this, these photographers make nuanced works in which they seek to inspire new understandings of identity and belonging.

Browse hundreds of current and past exhibitions

Current Exhibitions Exhibition History
A sphere made of interlocking geometric shapes hangs in the sky
Go back to start of main content
Go to top of page

Yuuma, Gurruburri

The National Gallery acknowledges the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, the Traditional Custodians of the Kamberri/Canberra region, and recognises their continuous connection to culture, community and Country.

  • National Gallery On Demand
  • Art & Artists
  • What's On
  • Visit
  • Membership
  • Donate
  • Jobs
  • About Us
Connect

+61 2 6240 6411
information@nga.gov.au
Get art in your inbox

Open every day

(except Christmas day)
10am – 5pm

Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country
Parkes Place East, Parkes ACT 2600

View Street Map
View Gallery Map


Contact us

National Gallery of Australia

Follow the National gallery of Australia on:

  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Website Privacy Website Disclaimer Website Copyright
Opening Acknowledgment of Country

The National Gallery acknowledges the First Peoples of this land and recognises their continuous connection to culture, community and Country

Learn More
    • View All
    • Today
    • Exhibitions
    • On tour
    • Access Programs
    • All Programs
    • On Demand
    • About the Collection
    • Sculpture Garden
    • Kenneth E. Tyler Collection
    • Provenance
    • Conservation
    • Copyright
    • Search the Collection
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Getting Here
    • Parking & Transport
    • Art Store
    • Dining
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Research Library & Archives
    • Admission tickets
    • Browse Stories
    • Browse Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Audio Tours
    • Virtual Tours
    • The Annual
    • Publications
    • Learning Programs
    • For people with access needs
    • For Teachers & Students
    • For Young People
    • For Kids & Families
    • For Adults
    • For Your Community
    • Art Cases
    • Educator Programs
    • Get Involved
    • Membership
    • Voluntary Guides
    • Partnerships
    • Support
    • Donate
  • First Nations
  • Access
  • Art Store
  • Media
  • Venue Hire
  • About Us
  • Contacts