Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery

Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi is the purpose-built gallery of Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University

The Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi is the purpose-built gallery of Victoria University of Wellington. It initiates, produces and presents a highly-regarded programme of exhibitions, events and publications; manages and develops the Victoria University of Wellington Art Collection, and provides a vital platform for critical thinking across media, disciplines, cultures and contexts. Using art and it

s presentation as a tool of analysis, it contributes to the production of new knowledge and creates opportunities for learning, for the benefit of staff, students and the wider community. To learn how we ensure our social media channels are safe places for open discussion follow this link: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/site-info/social-media-house-rules

Noor Abed’s film ‘A Night We Held Between’ centres around the ‘Song for The Fighters,’ which was found at the sonic arch...
04/06/2026

Noor Abed’s film ‘A Night We Held Between’ centres around the ‘Song for The Fighters,’ which was found at the sonic archive of the Popular Art Centre Palestine. The song’s lyrics establish the presence of loss and lament as routine, grief as something to be lived with, and inscribed on the body itself: “Kohl in the eyes is forbidden for me...I will dye my teeth black”. Like the imagery, these lines evoke specific losses—“Mother, oh mother, our fighters did not return”—in an oblique way rather than legibly for an external gaze or ear.

‘Peal the Bells’ on now until 21 June 2026. Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery is open Tues – Sun, 11.00am – 5.00pm.

[Images caption:

Noor Abed, ‘A Night We Held Between’ (still), 2024, 16mm film with digital transfer, sound, 30:00 mins, in Arabic with English subtitles. Courtesy of the artist. Installation view ‘Peal the Bells’, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, 2026. Photos: Ted Whitaker.]

.sheehan
@_mey_day

Two brilliant books just arrived! ‘Bodies of Sound: Becoming a Feminist Ear’ Published 2024 by Silver Press Edited and ...
27/05/2026

Two brilliant books just arrived!

‘Bodies of Sound: Becoming a Feminist Ear’
Published 2024 by Silver Press
Edited and introduced by Irene Revell and Sarah Shin

This anthology explores sound and listening in the context of the body. ‘Bodies of Sound’ began as a wide-ranging enquiry into how sonic experience is intervening in realms such as gender, memory, disability justice, anti-colonial ways of knowing, and anti-war movements. What has emerged is a collection that makes an expansive case for listening critically, with attention to shared experiences, and with a ‘feminist ear’. In the words of contributor Sara Ahmed, “we are louder not only when we are heard together, but when we hear together.” Bringing together poets, artists, writers and musicians including Anne Carson, Svetlana Alexievich, Sara Ahmed, Xenia Benivolski, Pauline Oliveros and Don Mee Choi, Bodies of Sound maps the intricate links between feminist sonic culture and radical listening.

‘The Gender of Sound’
by Anne Carson
Published 2025 by Spiral House, an imprint of Silver Press

Human history is filled with unacceptable sounds: high-pitched voices, gossip, talkativeness, hysteria, wailing and ritual shouts. Who makes them? Those deviant from or deficient in the masculine ideal of self-control: women, catamites, eunuchs and androgynes all fall into this category. From the myths of antiquity to Margaret Thatcher via Sigmund Freud and Gertrude Stein, ‘The Gender of Sound’ charts the gendering of sound in Western culture. Carson invites us to listen again, and in doing so to reimagine our conceptions of human order, virtue and selfhood.

Available in the gallery or follow the link to buy online now: https://www.adamartgallery.nz/shop/publications

Come and hear from Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington-based Iranian artist Mo H. Zareei, whose new work ‘Department Press Br...
27/05/2026

Come and hear from Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington-based Iranian artist Mo H. Zareei, whose new work ‘Department Press Briefings’ features in our current exhibition ‘Peal the Bells’:

Sound – material – identity – politics by Mo H. Zareei
Lunchtime artist talk
12noon Thursday 4 June 2026
Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery
Free, all welcome, no booking required.

In this talk, Zareei brings together the broad influences that have shaped his body of work, from growing up in a brutalist apartment complex in Tehran to collaborating with international icons of experimental music Loscil, Matmos, and Zimoun. The artist’s interdisciplinary practice is a direct outcome of his multi-disciplinary academic path: a PhD in Sonic Arts from Te Herenga Waka, a BFA in Music Technology from CalArts, and a BSc in Physics from Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran – one of the many academic targets of the ongoing American/Isr*eli war on his country. Questioning what it means to work within (or against) multiple institutional and political frameworks, Zareei will talk about his concerns around identity and authorship, as well as the material and political weight of his primary medium – sound.

Follow link for more details: https://www.adamartgallery.nz/events/upcoming/sound-material-identity-politics-by-mo-h-zareei

‘Peal the Bells’, on now until 21 June 2026. Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery is open Tues–Sun, 11.00am–5.00pm.

[Image credits:

Mo H. Zareei, ‘CLEAR [2024-07-08_MILLER] ‘from ‘Department Press Briefings’, 2026, Vinyl text, looped audio track. Courtesy of the artist. Installation view ‘Peal the Bells’, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, 2026. Photo: Ted Whitaker.

Poster design Mo H. Zareei.

Mo H. Zareei, ‘Cruise Missile Intersectionality’ (still), live performance at Brisbane Powerhouse, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.

Mo H. Zareei, ‘Material Prosody’, bespoke physical edition, Room40, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.

Mo H. Zareei, ‘Proof Of Identity’, cassette tape, Important Records/Cassauna Tape Company, 2023. Photo: Ted Whitaker.]

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington Alumni New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī, Victoria University of Wellington

‘a story is not a promise / a choral monologue’ by artists Qianye 林千叶 and Qianhe Lin 林千和 is not possible to consume all ...
27/05/2026

‘a story is not a promise / a choral monologue’ by artists Qianye 林千叶 and Qianhe Lin 林千和 is not possible to consume all at once. The sound meets you first and shifts as you move through the space; the visual components of the work are presented in dis-location from each other; the subtitles are at a remove from the image, nor do they provide explanation.

The audio-visual work hinges on a fictional script, and a rhetorical question: Can there be a collective voice? Or, in the words of the script, “Will ‘we’ include you? / Or ‘you’ include others?”

‘Peal the Bells’ on now until 21 June 2026. Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery is open Tues – Sun, 11.00am – 5.00pm.

[Images captions:

Qianye and Qianhe Lin, 'a story is not a promise / a choral monologue', 2026, 2 channel digital video, 6 channel sound, 19:00 mins. Installation view 'Peal the Bells', Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, 2026. Photo: Ted Whitaker.]

.sheehan

Join us for an evening of listening: poetry, prose, and electronic performance: ‘Kī Mai’ 5.00pm, Friday 29 May 2026 Te P...
19/05/2026

Join us for an evening of listening: poetry, prose, and electronic performance:

‘Kī Mai’
5.00pm, Friday 29 May 2026
Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery
Free, all welcome, no booking required.

This event will feature readings by artist, writer and 2026 Emerging Māori Writer in Residence at Te Herenga Waka Terri Te Tau, and, writer and performer Ada Duffy, followed by a live performance of ‘Department Press Briefings’ (currently exhibited in ‘Peal the Bells’) by artist Mo H. Zareei.

The title of the event, ‘Kī Mai’, tell me, say to me, emphasises direct address and the role of the listener. From poetry to prose to sound, across these works text, voice and language are drawn on as primary material, prompting different modes of listening.

Follow link in bio for more details.

‘Peal the Bells’, on now until 21 June 2026. Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery is open Tues–Sun, 11.00am–5.00pm.

[Image credits:

Terri Te Tau. Image supplied.

Noor Abed, ‘A Night We Held Between’ (still), 2024, 16mm film with digital transfer, sound, 30:00 mins, in Arabic with English subtitles. Installation view ‘Peal the Bells’, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, 2026. Photo: Ted Whitaker.

Ada Duffy. Image supplied.

Mo H Zareei. Photo: Ted Whitaker.]

@ terri_miana.ai_te_tau
.sheehan

In Maree Sheehan’s ‘Ōtairongo’ visitors are invited to listen to three audio portraits in solitude and relative darkness...
13/05/2026

In Maree Sheehan’s ‘Ōtairongo’ visitors are invited to listen to three audio portraits in solitude and relative darkness, where 360° surround sound can be heard and felt.

Featuring portraits of three wāhine Māori, Te Rita Papesch, Moana Maniapoto, and Ramon Te Wake, Sheehan’s sonic representations draw on multiple interviews into which other sources of audio are folded, constituting, in the artist’s words, “a distinctive renegotiation of how wāhine Māori might be interpreted...in so doing, they disrupt a largely visual concept of portraiture that was imported into Aotearoa New Zealand during the process of colonisation.”

Each portrait is contained in a large column of fabric, where visitors are invited to take a seat and press the button to listen to the work. The cylinders serve as a reference to the home of Hineraukatauri, the atua of sound and music. Their shape, and capacity to enclose us, cocoon-like, invites deep listening.

‘Peal the Bells’ on now until 21 June 2026.
Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery is open Tues – Sun, 11.00am – 5.00pm.

[Image captions:

Maree Sheehan, ‘Ōtairongo’, 2020, 3 audio tracks: 7:32 mins (Te Rita Papesch, front); 7:42 (Moana Maniapoto, middle); 6:31 mins (Ramon Te Wake, back), black fabric, chair, headphones. Courtesy of the artist. Installation view ‘Peal the Bells’, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, 2026. Photo: Ted Whitaker.

Visitor interacting with Maree Sheehan’s ‘Ōtairongo’, 2020. Installation view ‘Peal the Bells’, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, 2026. Photo: Ted Whitaker.]
sheehan


Join our team! Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery is seeking applications for a Curator – Kaiwhakarākei (Te Pātaka Toi). Thi...
29/04/2026

Join our team! Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery is seeking applications for a Curator – Kaiwhakarākei (Te Pātaka Toi).

This is a permanent, part-time position, 0.5FTE. The role involves working alongside the Director in the preparation and realisation of the exhibition programme, and includes responsibility for public programming. We are a small and close-knit team dedicated to delivering a thought-provoking, research-driven and contextually relevant programme. We are looking for someone who is excited by the possibilities of exhibition-making and audience engagement, knowledgeable about contemporary art and its histories, and who is eager to work in a university environment.

You will have a strong track record as a curator, writer and a confident communicator. You will have an understanding of and commitment to the role of public programming in deepening and expanding the impact of exhibitions and their ideas. You will be a knowledgeable, enthusiastic advocate for the arts and art histories with the skills and empathy to work with artists, curators, critics, scholars, students, and the media.

To view the vacancy listing and apply, visit Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington website: https://ejye.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/1009550
Applications close 5pm Friday 12 June 2026.

[Photo: Ted Whitaker]

Work with us! Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery is seeking applications for a Curator Collections - Kaiwhakarākei (Ngā Puhi...
29/04/2026

Work with us! Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery is seeking applications for a Curator Collections - Kaiwhakarākei (Ngā Puhipuhi o Te Herenga Waka).

This is a permanent, full-time position, responsible for the care of the University’s Art Collection, Ngā Puhipuhi o Te Herenga Waka, a nationally significant collection of more than 600 art works by modern and contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand artists. This role also holds responsibility for the registration elements of the Gallery’s regular exhibition delivery, working closely alongside the Head Technician & Production Coordinator.

We are looking for someone who is an informed, enthusiastic advocate for the arts and art histories, and an exceptional communicator with the ability to work well with artists, collectors, contractors, University staff, scholars and students, and the wider arts community. You will have a strong track record working with collections, and excellent knowledge of the art histories of Aotearoa New Zealand. You will have substantial experience working in gallery/museum contexts, including familiarity with Vernon Systems and cataloguing procedures, understanding of copyright, insurance and valuation processes. You will have demonstrated commitment to the work of collection management in all its dimensions, and be skilled in art handling, condition reporting and loan documentation.

To view the vacancy listing and apply, visit Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington website: https://ejye.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/1009549.
UPDATE: Applications close 5pm Friday 29 May 2026.

[Image caption:
Detail of Susan Skerman, ‘Bush Panels’, 1981, 16 screenprinted perspex panels, Ngā Puhipuhi o Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University Art Collection, formerly the Wellington College of Education Art Collection, accessioned 2009. Installation view, Te Pātaka Kōrero—Victoria University Library. Photo: Ted Whitaker.]

Kia ora koutou, the gallery remains closed today ANZAC Day and for the remainder of the long weekend, due to storm relat...
24/04/2026

Kia ora koutou, the gallery remains closed today ANZAC Day and for the remainder of the long weekend, due to storm related circumstances. We'll continue to post updates here and let you know as soon as we are able to reopen.

‘Insider Facts’ (pictured) is one of Anoushka Akel’s works in our current exhibition. Her series ‘Spine, No, Happily’ grew out of the artist’s focus on recent mass-circulated images of women in the political arena speaking up in resistance to war or using silence as a form of protest.

If you’re in Wellington today Saturday 25 April, consider joining the Hīkoi for Peace leaving from Waitangi Park at 2pm. Follow this link for details: https://peaceactionwellington.wordpress.com/2026/04/06/hikoi-for-peace/

‘Peal the Bells’, 18 April – 21 June 2026, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery.

[Image captions:

Anoushka Akel, ‘Insider Facts’, 2026, oil on canvas, 1000 x 750 mm.

Anoushka Akel, ‘Silver Tongue (gum tooth)’, 2023, oil and acrylic on canvas, 1030 x 680 m; ‘Tempered Instrument’, 2026, oil on canvas, 1000 x 750 mm; and ‘Insider Facts’.

All images, installation view ‘Peal the Bells’, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, 2026. Photos by Ted Whitaker.]

The gallery is currently closed due to storm related circumstances. We'll stay in touch here, and let you know as soon a...
22/04/2026

The gallery is currently closed due to storm related circumstances. We'll stay in touch here, and let you know as soon as we are able to reopen.

[Image caption:
Anoushka Akel, 'Speaking Time', 2025, oil on canvas, 300 x 200 mm. Photo: Victor Staaf.]

Address

Gate 3, Kelburn Parade, Victoria University Of Wellington Gate 3, Kelburn Parade
Wellington
6012

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 5pm
Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

+6444635229

Website

http://www.legacy.adamartgallery.nz/

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