By Afraa Kori
Bunjil Place, in association with Asia TOPA and Arts Centre Melbourne, is thrilled to present the exhibition and workshop series FROCK A WHANAUNGATANGA by the legendary Tāgata Moana (People of the Pacific) art collective, the Pacific Sisters, in the Bunjil Place Gallery from 8 December 2024 to 9 March 2025.
AsiaTOPA partnered with Bunjil Place because it recognised there are a significant number of Pasifika communities in this area.
Curator of the Moana Wan-Solwara collection at Museums Victoria, Jade Hadfield and the Bunjil Place had been in talks for years about the type of programming that they could do for Pasifika – to reconnect ancestral items in the museum and community.
When AsiaTOPA introduced the idea, they were excited about the opportunity it gave them in terms of the Pacific Sisters contemporary yet ancestral provocative style, bringing the past and the present to the fore.
Curated by the Pacific Sisters from News and Jade Hadfield, FROCK A WHANAUNGATANGA marks the Pacific Sisters’ first Australian solo exhibition and showcases their vibrant legacy through fashion, performance, film, and music, exploring ancestral connections and kinship, bringing to life the artistic traditions of the Moana.
“It celebrates our deep connection across the Moana, bridging time and space. This exhibition offers Pasifika communities in Victoria the opportunity to see themselves reflected and honoured on the exhibition and workshop series,” Jade said.
“By inviting audiences to engage with these themes through interactive elements and evocative displays, the exhibition fosters a shared sense of connection and celebrates the enduring importance of kinship in sustaining cultural identity.”
Jade Hadfield, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara, is a conservator and curator with over twelve years’ experience at leading cultural organisations, including Te Papa, ICCROM, The Koorie Heritage Trust, and State Library Victoria, and is currently Curator, Moana Wan-Solwara Collection at Museums Victoria. Jade is committed to Indigenous museum practices and elevating art of the Moana.
Pacific Sisters is a Tāgata Moana art collective that emerged from the fringes of mainstream arts and culture in Aotearoa New Zealand in 1991. They are now celebrated for their multi-disciplinary practice that blends Moana heritage art and contemporary forms to create fashion activism. Through ceremony, art, adornment and performance, they embrace and assert their urban Māori, Pacific, and Queer identities, unique to Aotearoa New Zealand.
As visitors move through the exhibition, they will encounter niu aitu (new ancestors) avatars adorned in the Sisters’ intricate handmade garments alongside ancestral taonga and measina (treasured cultural items) drawn from the collections of Museums Victoria and National Gallery of Victoria, and new works from the Sisters.
The exhibition also offers visitors a dynamic Pasifika lounge to engage with archival footage and imagery from the Pacific Sisters’ 30 years of pioneering work.
Alongside the exhibition, visitors will also be able to immerse themselves in making practices of the Moana with a series of adornment-making workshops, exploring textile techniques and chatting with the Pacific Sisters about Moana making practices, kinship, ritual and activism through art and adornment.
The major event that they are gearing up for is the AsiaTOPA launch party on Saturday 22 Feb where locals can witness the Sisters in action through performance and
frocktiVĀtion through their Freestyle Frock Action.
As fashion activists, they redefine the catwalk as a space for empowerment, where models represent diverse body types, genders, and cultural heritages, challenging Eurocentric beauty standards and celebrating the vibrancy of the Pacific diaspora. Their Freestyle Frock Action catwalks are not just fashion shows—they are acts of storytelling and protest, addressing issues such as climate change, marginalisation, and cultural erasure.
Mayor of the City of Casey, Cr Stefan Krooman is absolutely delighted to welcome the Pacific Sisters to Bunjil Place for their first solo exhibition in Australia.
“It’s an incredible honour to have their groundbreaking work on display, and we’re thrilled that our gallery, which has been home to some truly exceptional exhibitions, is chosen to host such a remarkable event. We encourage our community to visit this extraordinary exhibition and experience the inspiring creativity of the Pacific Sisters. The Bunjil Place Gallery remains dedicated to supporting and showcasing diverse and inspiring talent, and this exhibition is a testament to that commitment”.
