Taharaki
Skyside

Fiona Pardington

The New Zealand Arts Council Toi Aotearoa and Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū are proud to be working with Fiona Pardington to present Taharaki Skyside at the Aotearoa New Zealand national pavilion for the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

Fiona Pardington
Fiona Pardington. Photography by Meek Zuiderwyk.

Fiona Pardington

Fiona Pardington (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Ngāti Kahungunu, Clan Cameron of Erracht) ONZM is an internationally acclaimed Aotearoa New Zealand photographer whose work engages deeply with museum collections and the environment, culture, and histories of Aotearoa, while also carrying vital resonance and relevance in a global context. Her practice draws together local and international histories, creating connections across time and place. In this presentation, she forges a metaphorical link between Aotearoa and Venice through the idea of a shared horizon, viewed from opposite ends of the world. The work interlaces cultural references including Dante, the Southern Cross and the notion of an intermediary realm between the divine and the mortal to evoke a richly layered imaginative space.

The camera is a living extension of me. I felt drawn to photography because of its ability to bring the past into the future.

Fiona Pardington

Fiona Pardington
Fiona Pardington. Photography by Meek Zuiderwyk.

Creative Director

Neil Pardington (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Ngāti Kahungunu, Clan Cameron of Erracht) is a distinguished creative director, designer, and photographer whose practice spans exhibition design, visual identity, and publishing. Specialising in fine art publications, he has produced numerous award winning books and exhibition projects in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally, earning sustained recognition throughout his career. Fiona Pardington’s brother, as Creative Director of Taharaki Skyside he has worked closely with her in shaping this project.
Neil Pardington.

Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū is Creative New Zealand’s delivery partner, bringing valuable expertise and experience of working with artists to develop exceptional exhibitions in national and international contexts. Following the Biennale, the Gallery will bring Taharaki Skyside home to Aotearoa, so that it can be experienced by local and national audiences.
Chole Cull and Felicity Milburn
Chloe Cull, Felicity Milburn.

Curators

Felicity Milburn is Lead Curator at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, and works collaboratively with artists on a wide range of projects, from temporary installations to large-scale surveys. Recently, these have included Peter Robinson, Yona Lee, Francis Upritchard and Cheryl Lucas. Dummies & Doppelgängers (2024) explored her long-held fascination with everything art can tell us about human nature.

Chloe Cull (Kāi Tahu, Aerani, Ingarani) is Pouarataki Curator Māori at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. She works primarily with Māori artists to develop exhibitions that explore and uplift Indigenous knowledge and storytelling.

The manu guide us. When we gaze into their eyes, we will see the horizons they gaze out upon and are situated within.

Fiona Pardington

Kent Gardner
Kent Gardner.

Commissioner

Kent Gardner brings business and governance expertise to his role as Chair of the New Zealand Arts Council Toi Aotearoa, along with his passion and commitment to the arts and creativity. He is a patron, donor and volunteer to arts, education and health organisations. Kent is a trustee and former co-chair of the Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi.

Kaihautū

Puamiria Parata-Goodall (Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha, Ngāti Kahungunu) is a respected cultural leader with extensive experience across arts, culture and heritage. A lifelong kapa haka practitioner and advisor, Puamiria has guided cultural narratives across regions, and championed initiatives that strengthen identity, storytelling and Māori presence within Aotearoa’s arts landscape.

Puamiria Parata-Goodall
Puamiria Parata-Goodall.

Patrons

Leigh Melville, Head of Patrons and the Commissioner, Kent Garder, invite contributions from supporters of the arts to enhance the exhibition of Aotearoa New Zealand visual art at the world’s most prestigious contemporary arts biennale. For donations of $3000 or more (single) or $6000 or more (double), you can become a member of an exclusive group, the Patrons of Aotearoa New Zealand at the Venice Biennale. If you can join us in Venice for the Vernissage week, there will be a wonderful schedule of activities to participate in, including guided tours of the Biennale, museums and Venice. We encourage Patrons to come and see the exhibition they have helped to make happen. If you are interested in becoming a Patron, please visit our Patrons site.
Patrons website
Claire Chamberlain, Leigh Melville.

Head of Patrons

Claire Chamberlain heads Te Tuhi’s Art Today programme and leads tours for Art Travel NZ. A former art history teacher and association president, she is a passionate advocate for Aotearoa artists. A long-time NZ at Venice supporter, Claire was a previous attendant for Lisa Reihana’s Emissaries and is thrilled to return in support of Fiona Pardington’s Taharaki Skyside.

Leigh Melville is the Managing Director of Art+Object auction house and has been working in the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland art market since the late 1990s. She is a keen supporter of a number of philanthropic organisations, including serving as a trustee of the Auckland Writers Festival and McCahon House. Leigh is a strong believer in the power of patronage to realise special projects such as NZ at Venice. She has been attending the Biennale since 2009 and looks forward to continuing her support of this prestigious event in 2025.

Team Members

Senior Manager

Claire Murdoch

Project Director

Amber Baldock

Commissioner

Kent Gardner

Kaihautū

Puamiria Parata-Goodall

Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū
Director

Blair Jackson

Curators

Felicity Milburn, Chloe Cull

Exhibition Organisers

Chris Pole, Neil Semple, Holly Gemmell, Rebekkah Pickrill

Exhibition Design

Jamie Richardson, Peter Bray

Publication Team
Designer

Neil Pardington

Editorial

Fiona Pardington, Chloe Cull, Felicity Milburn and Sarah Pepperle

Managing Editor

Sarah Pepperle

Contributors

Geoffrey Batchen, Maia Nuku, Hana O’Regan, Harry Rickit, Megan Tamati-Quennell, Andrew Paul Wood

Attendants
Anna McLean, Chevron Te Whetumatarau Hassett, Geo Thompson Skipworth, Giulia Naspi, Jane Wallace, Joshua (Hōhua) Thompson, Meg Doughty, Michael Purdie, Mya Morrison Middleton, Ruth Ha
International Public Relationships

Rees & Co. London

Website Development

Digital Arts Network

Venice Exhibition Manager

Diego Carpentiero

Venice Vernissage Coordinator

Alice Tibaldi Chiesa

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the
Aotearoa
New Zealand at
Venice Patrons.

View the full list of Venice Patrons (pdf. 170kb)