The curators include: Charlotte Davy – Head of Art Mark Stocker – Historical International Art Rebecca Rice – Historical New Zealand Art Lissa Mitchell – Historical Photography Chelsea Nichols – Modern Art Justine Olsen – Decorative Art & Design Megan Tamati-Quennell – Modern & Contemporary Maori & Indigenous Art Athol McCredie – Photography Nina Tonga – Pacific Art and Sarah Farrar – Contemporary Art The result is a novel behind-the-scenes look at New Zealand’s national art collection by those who know these paintings, prints, photographs, applied art objects and sculptures better than most. Ten x Ten not only invites ten of the institution’s curators to pick ten of their favourite works from the national collection, but also to explain why they find the works interesting, resonant, or significant. While Te Papa may not possess the kind of resources that would allow it to amass a collection of classical masterpieces, it is reassuring to know that it does have a staff of exceptionally talented curators who possess sufficient expertise in their various fields to make well-informed and judicious purchases on behalf of the nation. Be that as it may, an adventurous publication like Ten x Ten goes a long way towards redressing the balance by enabling the casual visitor to get a much wider impression of the kind of works on which the tax-payer’s dollars are being spent. The argument has frequently been made, often justifiably, that Te Papa’s remit is hopelessly comprehensive and that separating the art collection from the historical, scientific, and technical objects of interest would have done much better justice to them all. Such an approach is highly commendable, since it allows for a wide-ranging and eclectic appreciation of the breadth of Te Papa’s art collection, only a fraction of which is available for display in the past. Handsomely illustrated, their top ten picks are accompanied by a full-page, colour prints and brief descriptions of the work, explaining in straightforward and approachable language why it is of historical, cultural, or personal significance.

Their latest offering is Ten x Ten: One Hundred of the Best-Loved Works in the National Art Collection at Te Papa, an idiosyncratic selection by ten art curators, each of whom have chosen ten of their favorite works.

When it opens in March, Toi Art, the new gallery at Te Papa, will increase the amount of space dedicated to art by 35%.Ī further cause of celebration is Te Papa’s publishing arm, which not only produces a highly respected research journal in Tuhinga, but also consistently publishes excellent book-length studies of its own extensive collections. Wellingtonians can look forward to some wonderful displays of art in 2018 with the imminent redesign and renovation of exhibition spaces in both Te Papa and City Gallery.

Ten x Ten by Athol McCredie