WWJD:2
(What Would Jim Do?):2

Margaret Aull (Tuwharetoa / Te Rarawa, Fiji), Melissa Cole (Ngati Hine, Ngati Kahu), Tanu Gago (Sāmoa, NZ), Julia Mage’au Gray (Papua New Guinea, Australia), Leilani Kake (Ngapuhi / Tainui, Cook Islands), Andy Leleisi’uao (Sāmoa, NZ), Niutuiatua Lemalu (Sāmoa, NZ), Sinia Malua (Tonga, NZ), Molima Pihigia (Niue, NZ) Vea Mafile’o (Tonga, NZ), ‘Ahota’e’iloa Toetu’u (Tonga, NZ), Vaimaila Urale (Sāmoa, NZ) and Daniel Weetman (Fiji, NZ).

Curated by Ema Tavola

Vunilagi Vou
4/256 Great South Road, Otahuhu, Auckland

1 - 29 June 2019

WWJD:2 is the second in a series of exhibitions that pay tribute to the late Cook Islands curator, Jim Vivieaere, who passed away on June 3, 2011. Vivieaere was an iconic figure in the development of contemporary Pacific art, and a mentor and sounding board for curator, Ema Tavola.

The first exhibition, “WWJD (What Would Jim Do?)” (2012) was the last exhibition Tavola produced at Fresh Gallery Ōtara, a community gallery in South Auckland where she produced 66 exhibitions from 2006-2012. Seven years later, WWJD:2 is the first at Vunilagi Vou, Tavola’s own independent gallery space. The symbolic connection honours Vivieaere’s influence and encouragement for Tavola to find her curatorial voice. The number of artists involved – 13 – represents 13 years of Fresh Gallery Ōtara’s contribution to New Zealand art history.

WWJD:2 is a large group show featuring predominantly local South Auckland-based artists working in the mediums of textiles, photography, painting, film and paper. For some artists, the works in the show have been exhibited previously in mainstream public and dealer galleries; for Tavola, WWJD:2 is a purposeful re-positioning of these works into Pacific space.