The eighth of 15 Actions designed to interrupt public space and raise awareness for West Papua is going down this weekend at Pasifika Festival. For the first time Manukau City will play host to Auckland’s iconic festival… this should be interesting!
I made this illustration. Action 8 is powerful, emotional, bold – I can’t wait.
Follow Oceania Interrupted on Facebook for updates.
This is us! On Saturday 17 January from 12 – 6pm, the artists from the upcoming Between Wind and Water exhibition and residency will be at Wellington’s Positively Pasifika Festival at Waitangi Park!
Come down and meet the crew and pick up a copy of SOUTH publication featuring artist profiles, reviews, photo essays and page works by South Auckland’s finest Maori and Pacific artists. Limited edition PIMPI fans will be on sale, as well as Oceania Interrupted T-shirts… and keep an eye out for Oceania Interrupted who’ll be on a mission to raise awareness for West Papua in the capital!
The exhibition of new works by Tanu Gago, Leilani Kake and Luisa Tora opens at Enjoy Public Art Gallery on Saturday 10 January; the first event of the residency is on Wednesday 14 January – Pacific vs Art: A discussion on Curating Pacific Art – all welcome!
Between Wind and Water has been produced with support from
As part of the Between Wind and Water Summer Residency at Enjoy Public Art Gallery, come along to meet members and hear about Oceania Interrupted: Empowering Collective Action from 5.30pm on Friday 16 January, 2015.
Oceania Interrupted is an Auckland-based collective of Māori and Pacific women committed to undertaking public interventions to raise awareness for issues that affect Pacific Islanders both here in Aotearoa and throughout the region. The collective is currently engaged in producing a series of 15 Actions to raise awareness and demonstrate solidarity for the people of Papua and West Papua, who have been living under Indonesian colonial rule since 1962. They state, “Becoming aware of the gross injustices and ongoing human rights violations that Papuans and West Papuans endure inspires us to mobilise awareness amongst our own communities and those around us.”
Oceania Interrupted formed in 2013 and undertook the first of 15 Actions on Auckland’s Queen Street. They’ve since assembled to march, perform and dialogue at Otara Market, Pasifika Festival, Fresh Gallery Otara and most recently on Mission Bay beach.
Between Wind and Water exhibiting artist and Oceania Interrupted member, Leilani Kake, draws on her performance art practice to contribute key art direction for a number Oceania Interrupted Actions.
The collective’s next Action will take place in Wellington on Saturday 17 January. Come along to meet the crew at Enjoy Public Art Gallery to find out more and get involved! All welcome!
Keep informed about Oceania Interrupted developments on Facebook
Oceania Interrupted produced this video for a gathering on World Press Freedom Day, Saturday 3 May, in collaboration with South Auckland-based film maker, artist and activist, Tanu Gago.
As the fourth of 15 planned interventions to raise awareness for West Papua in Aotearoa New Zealand, Action 4 took the form of a call for women to conduct interviews and discuss the issue of West Papua, visibility and freedom with people in their lives. The interviews are woven together with footage from previous Oceania Interrupted interventions or actions, along with imagery and footage that has inspired the collective.
I love being part of Oceania Interrupted; it is life-giving and deeply empowering. Massive thanks to the women who participated and to those who were interviewed, to Tanu Gago who laboured for many hours processing footage and editing, to all the women who have been involved and will be involved in future actions. To Fresh Gallery Otara for hosting our launch and gathering on World Press Freedom Day, to the Faculty of Creative Arts at Manukau Institute of Technology for supporting the project and to everyone who has contributed to this collective effort. We ALL share one love for West Papua and in small ways, hope to be contributing to broadening awareness, mobilising action and affecting change.
Oceania Interrupted: Empowering Collective Action
#FreeWestPapua
More information: www.OceaniaInterrupted.com
Auckland-based collective Oceania Interrupted launches its fourth of 15 planned ‘Actions’ on World Press Freedom Day, Saturday 3 May at South Auckland’s Fresh Gallery Otara.
Oceania Interrupted Action 4: Freedom is… Video stills
Formed in November 2013, Oceania Interrupted is a collective of Māori and Pacific women committed to undertaking public interventions to raise awareness for issues that affect Pacific Islanders both here in Aotearoa and throughout the region. The collective is currently engaged in producing a series of 15 Actions to raise awareness and demonstrate solidarity for the people of Papua and West Papua.
Past Actions have been performance based; women have assembled to march silently with the Morning Star flag down Queen Street in the Auckland CBD (Action 1: The Rise of the Morning Star), through the notorious Otara Market (Action 2: All We Want for Christmas is a Free West Papua) and most recently at Auckland’s Pasifika Festival (Action 3: Free Pasifika – Free West Papua).
Action 4: Freedom is… takes the form of a video project and gathering to mark World Press Freedom Day. Oceania Interrupted extended the invitation to participants to produce their own videos asking people in their lives about the meaning of freedom, awareness of West Papua and the visibility of the Pacific in New Zealand mainstream media. Filmed on phones, cameras and tablets, the contributions were collated and edited together with footage from past Oceania Interrupted performances by Samoan artist and activist, Tanu Gago.
Drawing attention to the power and privilege of media freedom, and freedom of expression, the Action 4: Freedom is… video will be launched on YouTube at 5pm on Saturday 3 May at a gathering at Fresh Gallery Otara.
Bringing together participants, supporters, families and friends, the Action 4: Freedom is… gathering is an opportunity to discuss and broaden awareness for West Papua as well as invite contributions for future Oceania Interrupted actions.
A limited edition Oceania Interrupted T-shirt has been designed by Cook Islands visual arts student, Katarina Katoa, who is currently completing a Bachelor of Creative Arts degree at Manukau Institute of Technology. Katatrina has undertaken the project as part of an internship for PIMPI and Oceania Interrupted; the t-shirts have been designed and hand screen-printed in Otara, South Auckland with support from the Faculty of Creative Arts. They’ll be for sale at Fresh Gallery Otara on Saturday 3 May from 5-7pm for NZD40. All proceeds raised go towards future Oceania Interrupted Actions.
PIMPI KNOWS 