“Manu—the fantastic plastic Māori-wearing a designer Matariki frock, shares her pearls of fashion wisdom with the people of Pōneke”.
Manu does Matariki (2022) is a new work made in response to Matariki by Suzanne Tamaki (Ngāti Maniapoto, Tūhoe). The video shows on Masons Screen, Wellington from 5 July-1 August 2022.
Manu has been a recurrent figure in Suzanne's video work since 2020. The plastic animated doll emerged during lockdown, making acute observations on the appropriation of Māori culture by the tourism market. Since then Manu has gone to Germany, where she opened a screening of artist works from Aotearoa at the 2021 Oberhausen Short Film Festival.
Suzanne Tamaki is an artist and social provocateur based in Pōneke Wellington. She is known as a member of the pioneering interdisciplinary collective Pacific Sisters, and recently was included in Māori Moving Image at the Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt.
Manu does Matariki is the third annual CIRCUIT commission for Matariki. This year's artist and work is curated by Leo Koziol (Ngāti Rakaipaaka, Ngāti Kahungunu). Leo is the founder and director of Wairoa Māori Film Festival, and co-curator of Ngā Whanaunga Shorts at the Whānau Mārama NZ International Film Festival.