CHRISTOPHER ULUTUPU

Included in the exhibition is a single-channel work, West I (2024)—part one of a larger series of 17 works (and growing), developed during a residency at Tylee Cottage in 2023.

West I highlights the artist’s fascination with the symbiotic relationships between ātua and place. Christopher, along with his cast and crew, constructed props that serve as instruments to capture spirits.

The two-channel projection Hidden Amongst Clouds (2021), initially commissioned by Gus Fisher Gallery in Tāmaki Makaurau, was inspired by Christopher’s fascination with the supernatural as a cinematic genre. It brings together elements of angst, assimilation, mythology, pop culture, and the end of the world.

Both works extend beyond art, engaging with broader cultural, spiritual, and environmental themes. Manino is paradoxical, suggesting that by locating and identifying things you cannot see, you lose the very essence of being mortal.

Thank you to Haz Forrester, Kane Laing, Kasmira Krefft, Areez Katki, Max Ulutupu, Fame Ulutupu, Lelia Smith, Typhon Ulutupu, Ana Scotney, Riley Aiono, Sepelini Mua’au and the Adam Art gallery for all of your contributions to this show.