SaVĀge K'lub

Ao Pō ........ Ao Pō
Ra'i nui e te fenua
Tumu nui e te aa roa e
No runga, no raro, no roto, no waho
Hiti mai te mana o Hawaiki!

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Rua fetu, rua matai, rua naru
Tu rama rama i te vā
Ta tatau it e tau nei,
I to tatou rururanga

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Haka tupu i te wanawana
A hotu i te vana na
Puhi hau ma te vā tahito
Hau ora ki te whei ao, ki te Ao marama ...eee
Ua ara i te toki!

Hau mi e!......Hui e!.......Taiki e!

There are many forms of karakia, they can be used to invoke spiritual guidance and protection. Karakia are often used to set intentions, bringing clarity and purpose for a specific task or occasion.

Hiti mai te mana o Hawaiki – Let the Mana flow from Hawaiki was composed for the National Gallery SaVĀge K'lub by long standing member Tahiari'i Yoram Pariente. This karakia acknowledges our cosmological beginnings, shared histories and ancestral knowledge. Binding us together to celebrating the past in the present.

This installation weaves together historical collections from the National Gallery of Australia with contemporary works from the SaVĀge K'lub collective.

The SaVĀge K'lub, conceived by artist and scholar Rosanna Raymond in 2010 references the gentleman's club, of the same name, established in London during the nineteenth century. The capitalisation of VĀ privileges the Samoan notion of vā, a relational space between people and things central to Moana-based creative practices and protocols: primarily honouring the relationships formed during art-making.

As a collective, the SaVĀge K'lub celebrates diverse art forms and cultures, engaging in collaborative efforts to acti.VĀ.te individuals and objects and explore notions of hospitality, sovereignty, queer identities to celebrate all forms of art and culture.

The installation is conceptually based on a paepae, a concept found in various forms and functions throughout the Moana Nui [the region of the Pacific Ocean]. Paepae exist outside the main marae [communal or sacred space], forming a threshold across which things pass back and forth. Paepae are often used to ceremonially reveal a village's measina [cultural treasures]. In Aotearoa it is also a place for ceremonial speeches and retelling; remembering histories and genealogies – bringing the past alive in the present.

Te Paepae Aora'i is a place to present cultural treasures, both static and living, artistic and ceremonial. A place to create new memories; and construct our past, present and future: A place where the gods cannot be fooled.

Curator: Rosanna Raymond MNZM, Adjunct Senior Curator, Special Projects