B: Select one of the images provided, unpack it by analysing the image and discussing this with regard to the social/political/historical context that produced it. Consider the significance of what this means in the context of art and design: (503 words)
Ngati Tuwharetoa. Hinemihi.1880. (Restored 2002, Clandon Park).
Hinimihi was created as not only a traditional meeting house but also for entertainment purposes in the early stages of New Zealand tourism in 1881 near the famous pink and white terraces. She was later sold to Lord Onslow, the governor general of the time who relocated her to Clandon Park in London where today she stills goes back to her routes as a tourist attraction. I personally believe that while Hinemihi's integrity as a traditional meeting house has not been lost through her relocation as she is accepted as a lot of māori people in England's local marae, the way she has been located can be related back to the idea of decolonization (the process of restoring indigenous identity) (cited source 2) in an almost opposite way as decolonization is about the idea of restoring the indigenous identity back to an area, the way this relates to Hinemihi is more about her being accepted as still a traditional marae to many people means her own indigenous identity is not lost by her relocation.
I feel like after reading Taonga works and intellectual property (cited source 3) the way that Hinemihi is kept in England is almost exploiting the way she is a taonga work (anything considered to be of value including socially or culturally valuable objects, resources, phenomenon, ideas and techniques) which reminded me of Te Hau ki Tūranga the ancestral house held at Te Papa museum and the conflict discussed in this reading over whether or not the fact that it is a taonga word is respected by it being on display in the museum.
The context of Hinemihi, I believe to be quite important to consider when discussing its significance. The story of how it ended up in Clandon Park almost 20,000 kilometers away from where it was built. She was sold after the volcanic eruption of Mount Tarawera and was relocated to The United Kingdom only 11 years after being built. Though Hinemihi was used as a traditional meeting house this was not her soul purpose as she was also built as a venue to entertain visitors. If the average traditional meeting house had been sold and relocated to England and go on to be used as a tourist destination this would be highly insensitive to the culture from which it has come from, but this is not the case for Hinemihi as its involvement in the tourism business has been apparent since it was built.
According to Decolonising Conservation (cited source 4), Hinemihi is one of very few traditional māori meeting houses outside of New Zealand. Another curious piece of information I discovered whilst reading this article was that many people visiting Clandon Park will be totally unaware of the significance of Hinemihi and her cultural significance, as there is no signage detailing any kind of history of the building or educating visitors of her meaning and significance. This really undermines the cultural integrity of Hinemihi and almost puts her in the same category as many traditionally styled buildings used for aesthetic rather than respecting their taonga.
No comments:
Post a Comment