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Wastelands is an exhibition by Brett Graham (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Tainui), currently on at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. 

The exhibition is presenting one of Graham’s most powerful sculptural works, Wastelands, commissioned as a response to works of his father Fred Graham’s in the 1970s for the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024, alongside a new video work, Whangamārino, a panorama of footage documenting a fire raging across the Whangamārino wetlands, which shares the same locational subject as the sculptural work it displays itself with. 

The works address the rich history of this area and resulting degradation – continuing an interest in Graham’s practice in the impact of Pākehā settlement and colonisation on tangata whenua and te taiao. Where Waikato-Tainui lands were once abundant in resources and other taonga, the wetlands were confiscated by the colonial government following the 1863-64 Waikato War, through the Waste Lands Act 1858 and New Zealand Settlements Act 1863, and sold as pasture. 

Being the first time Wastelands has been exhibited in Aotearoa, the exhibition shows Graham bringing to life his vision for installation, inviting the viewer into a powerful, ominous, and almost haunting environment. 

Sofia had a kōrero with Brett Graham about the making of Wastelands. 

Jennifer Mason is a Tāmaki based oil painter, with a practice centered around Mason's passion for painting the figure, a subject typically known as ‘The nude’. 

Her current exhibition The Boundary of the Intelligible delves into new modes of exploration for the artist. In earlier works Mason typically focused solely on the figure, resembling elements of portraiture with references taken from posed models. But within this new body of work Mason has shifted her point of reference and has turned directly to the history of western art, and its iconic figures.

Recontextualizing these figures from art history and pulling them into her own paintings filled with vibrant prismatic fields of colour where bodies ascend, weightless and untethered. Removed from their past moments and brought into a world of tranquility with renewed vitality, separated from space and time.  

Maya had a chat with Jennifer about her show and overall practice.

Today on Travelling Tunes, Dr Kirsten Zemke chats with Rosetta and Milly about the origins of the Women's Music Movement, a movement born in the early 70s through the advocacy of feminists and lesbians who formed their own record labels, centering women artists as well as women who worked in the non-musical roles (sound engineers, producers, label managers etc). Whakarongo mai nei!

Song selections:

Indigo Girls - Closer to Fine (1989)

Rosetta and Milly have a yarn with Radio One's brekkie host Zac! They catch up about all things happening down in Ōtepoti, and listen to a track that Zac has recommended - 'SH-1' by Josh Casino. Whakarongo mai nei!

Today on your Rāpare Breakfast: Political Commentary with David Slack, Rosetta and Milly catch up with Zac from Radio One for Parakuihi Pals, and Fran from KORA is in the studio ahead of their album release and tour! Whakarongo mai nei!

A medley of music including Palestinian rap pioneers DAM, local acts like Fazerdaze and Leao - plus two buzzy, brilliant remixes of Dave Dobbyn and Kylie Minogue classics - and a lot of love for Bic Runga. Today Emma also interviewed award-winning fashion designer John Tanuvasa, whose label OHN is showing at New Zealand Fashion Week Kahuria in the Future of Fashion show on Thursday, August 28 (tickets are available here).

There have been reports recently that indie promoters across the city have been told to immediately cease postering in the city by Auckland Council. 

Auckland Council has cited a higher number of complaints and their signs bylaw which technically makes these posters promoting indie gigs illegal. However, an informal arrangement between both parties meant that enforcement action was rarely taken 

At the same time Auckland is a UNESCO city of music with the city’s independent music scene being renowned globally, so today I wanted to ask Councilor Shane Henderson about  Auckland Council’s rationale and see why they have suddenly changed their approach when it comes to gig posters. 

There has also recently been some commentary from Auckland Business Chamber head Simon Bridges about the state of Auckland’s regional economy.

He wants the central government to renew investment to stimulate the economy and extend a helping hand to struggling industries. At the same time regional economies in the South Island seem to be showing signs of economic recovery while Auckland still contends with the country’s highest unemployment rate. 

So I asked Councilor Shane Henderson about how Auckland Council can stimulate that growth and how that growth can have equitable benefits across the entire city.

There have been reports recently that indie promoters across the city have been told to immediately cease postering in the city by Auckland Council. 

Auckland Council has cited a higher number of complaints and their signs bylaw which technically makes these posters promoting indie gigs illegal. However, an informal arrangement between both parties meant that enforcement action was rarely taken 

At the same time Auckland is a UNESCO city of music with the city’s independent music scene being renowned globally, so today I wanted to ask Councilor Shane Henderson about  Auckland Council’s rationale and see why they have suddenly changed their approach when it comes to gig posters. 

There has also recently been some commentary from Auckland Business Chamber head Simon Bridges about the state of Auckland’s regional economy.

He wants the central government to renew investment to stimulate the economy and extend a helping hand to struggling industries. At the same time regional economies in the South Island seem to be showing signs of economic recovery while Auckland still contends with the country’s highest unemployment rate. 

So I asked Councilor Shane Henderson about how Auckland Council can stimulate that growth and how that growth can have equitable benefits across the entire city.

Last week's United Nations talks to negotiate a global plastics treaty failed after a consensus couldn’t be reached.

This led to major disappointment from several countries, as well NGOs, who called the failure a “blow to multilateralism.”

For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Olga Pantos, a research scientist at PHF Science with a PhD from Newcastle University, about the failure to negotiate.

Today on Political Commentary, Rosetta and Milly catch up with David Slack - who shares a poem dedicated to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Whakarongo mai nei!