Kelekele Mo‘ui (Living Soil): Kalisolaite ‘Uhila
201 Eastbourne St East, Hastings
Kelekele Mo‘ui (Living Soil): Kalisolaite ‘Uhila
201 Eastbourne St East, Hastings
3 May – 18 August 2024
Live performance: Wednesday 1 May, 10am - 4.30pm
Kelekele Mo‘ui (Living Soil) centres on a live performance by artist Kalisolaite ‘Uhila. Developed following a residency in Heretaunga Hastings in mid-2023, the work responds to the ways in which people live off and labour on the land. The artist is interested in the presence of agricultural workers from the Pacific in Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke's Bay, and the richness of soil as an elemental life-force and bedrock for sustenance.
‘Uhila’s work explores umbilical links between the earth and body in language. The Tongan phrase kelekele (soil, earth, ground), mo’ui (life, living) can be interpreted in multiple ways. ‘Uhila used an alternate translation for his 2015 performance Kelekele Mo‘ui (Giving Life), developed in Ōtautahi Christchurch during the city’s immediate recovery period. Both performances are also linked through the artist’s interest in regeneration and community labour centred around the soil.
Many of ‘Uhila’s performances incorporate silence and passivity–including the action of sitting still–to interrogate what he describes as maumau-taimi, “wasting time”. This practice turns attention to, and critiques expectations of labour, gender, and value projected onto the body through the lens of the artist’s experiences. In Kelekele Mo‘ui (Living Soil) the practice of maumau-taimi is juxtaposed with intense physical labour and endurance, and the aliveness and visceral qualities of the soil, such as smell and touch.
Kalisolaite ‘Uhila was born in 1981 in the Kingdom of Tonga. He lives and works in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. ‘Uhila has received widespread recognition for his outstanding contributions to contemporary performance art. In 2017 he won the contemporary Pacific Artist Award at the Creative New Zealand Pasifika Arts Awards and in 2014 he was nominated for the Walters Prize. He has been awarded artist residencies at Montalvo Arts Centre, California, 2018; Youkobo Art Space, Tokyo, 2018, and ZK/U & Ifa Galerie Residency, Berlin, 2016. ‘Uhila was awarded the Harriet Friedlander Residency by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand to live and work in New York City from 2023-24.
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When
Sat 4th May 2024, 10:00am
Sun 5th May 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 6th May 2024, 10:00am
Tue 7th May 2024, 10:00am
Wed 8th May 2024, 10:00am
Thu 9th May 2024, 10:00am
Fri 10th May 2024, 10:00am
Sat 11th May 2024, 10:00am
Sun 12th May 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 13th May 2024, 10:00am
Tue 14th May 2024, 10:00am
Wed 15th May 2024, 10:00am
Thu 16th May 2024, 10:00am
Fri 17th May 2024, 10:00am
Sat 18th May 2024, 10:00am
Sun 19th May 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 20th May 2024, 10:00am
Tue 21st May 2024, 10:00am
Wed 22nd May 2024, 10:00am
Thu 23rd May 2024, 10:00am
Fri 24th May 2024, 10:00am
Sat 25th May 2024, 10:00am
Sun 26th May 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 27th May 2024, 10:00am
Tue 28th May 2024, 10:00am
Wed 29th May 2024, 10:00am
Thu 30th May 2024, 10:00am
Fri 31st May 2024, 10:00am
Sat 1st Jun 2024, 10:00am
Sun 2nd Jun 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 3rd Jun 2024, 10:00am
Tue 4th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Wed 5th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Thu 6th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Fri 7th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Sat 8th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Sun 9th Jun 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 10th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Tue 11th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Wed 12th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Thu 13th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Fri 14th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Sat 15th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Sun 16th Jun 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 17th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Tue 18th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Wed 19th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Thu 20th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Fri 21st Jun 2024, 10:00am
Sat 22nd Jun 2024, 10:00am
Sun 23rd Jun 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 24th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Tue 25th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Wed 26th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Thu 27th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Fri 28th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Sat 29th Jun 2024, 10:00am
Sun 30th Jun 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 1st Jul 2024, 10:00am
Tue 2nd Jul 2024, 10:00am
Wed 3rd Jul 2024, 10:00am
Thu 4th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Fri 5th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Sat 6th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Sun 7th Jul 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 8th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Tue 9th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Wed 10th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Thu 11th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Fri 12th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Sat 13th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Sun 14th Jul 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 15th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Tue 16th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Wed 17th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Thu 18th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Fri 19th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Sat 20th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Sun 21st Jul 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 22nd Jul 2024, 10:00am
Tue 23rd Jul 2024, 10:00am
Wed 24th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Thu 25th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Fri 26th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Sat 27th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Sun 28th Jul 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 29th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Tue 30th Jul 2024, 10:00am
Wed 31st Jul 2024, 10:00am
Thu 1st Aug 2024, 10:00am
Fri 2nd Aug 2024, 10:00am
Sat 3rd Aug 2024, 10:00am
Sun 4th Aug 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 5th Aug 2024, 10:00am
Tue 6th Aug 2024, 10:00am
Wed 7th Aug 2024, 10:00am
Thu 8th Aug 2024, 10:00am
Fri 9th Aug 2024, 10:00am
Sat 10th Aug 2024, 10:00am
Sun 11th Aug 2024, 1:00pm
Mon 12th Aug 2024, 10:00am
Tue 13th Aug 2024, 10:00am
Wed 14th Aug 2024, 10:00am
Thu 15th Aug 2024, 10:00am
Fri 16th Aug 2024, 10:00am
Sat 17th Aug 2024, 10:00am
Sun 18th Aug 2024, 1:00pm
Where
Hastings City Art Gallery, Hastings, Hawke's Bay / Gisborne
201 Eastbourne St East, Hastings
Kelekele Mo‘ui (Living Soil): Kalisolaite ‘Uhila
3 May – 18 August 2024
Live performance: Wednesday 1 May, 10am - 4.30pm
Kelekele Mo‘ui (Living Soil) centres on a live performance by artist Kalisolaite ‘Uhila. Developed following a residency in Heretaunga Hastings in mid-2023, the work responds to the ways in which people live off and labour on the land. The artist is interested in the presence of agricultural workers from the Pacific in Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke's Bay, and the richness of soil as an elemental life-force and bedrock for sustenance.
‘Uhila’s work explores umbilical links between the earth and body in language. The Tongan phrase kelekele (soil, earth, ground), mo’ui (life, living) can be interpreted in multiple ways. ‘Uhila used an alternate translation for his 2015 performance Kelekele Mo‘ui (Giving Life), developed in Ōtautahi Christchurch during the city’s immediate recovery period. Both performances are also linked through the artist’s interest in regeneration and community labour centred around the soil.
Many of ‘Uhila’s performances incorporate silence and passivity–including the action of sitting still–to interrogate what he describes as maumau-taimi, “wasting time”. This practice turns attention to, and critiques expectations of labour, gender, and value projected onto the body through the lens of the artist’s experiences. In Kelekele Mo‘ui (Living Soil) the practice of maumau-taimi is juxtaposed with intense physical labour and endurance, and the aliveness and visceral qualities of the soil, such as smell and touch.
Kalisolaite ‘Uhila was born in 1981 in the Kingdom of Tonga. He lives and works in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. ‘Uhila has received widespread recognition for his outstanding contributions to contemporary performance art. In 2017 he won the contemporary Pacific Artist Award at the Creative New Zealand Pasifika Arts Awards and in 2014 he was nominated for the Walters Prize. He has been awarded artist residencies at Montalvo Arts Centre, California, 2018; Youkobo Art Space, Tokyo, 2018, and ZK/U & Ifa Galerie Residency, Berlin, 2016. ‘Uhila was awarded the Harriet Friedlander Residency by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand to live and work in New York City from 2023-24.
Live performance: Wednesday 1 May, 10am - 4.30pm
Kelekele Mo‘ui (Living Soil) centres on a live performance by artist Kalisolaite ‘Uhila. Developed following a residency in Heretaunga Hastings in mid-2023, the work responds to the ways in which people live off and labour on the land. The artist is interested in the presence of agricultural workers from the Pacific in Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke's Bay, and the richness of soil as an elemental life-force and bedrock for sustenance.
‘Uhila’s work explores umbilical links between the earth and body in language. The Tongan phrase kelekele (soil, earth, ground), mo’ui (life, living) can be interpreted in multiple ways. ‘Uhila used an alternate translation for his 2015 performance Kelekele Mo‘ui (Giving Life), developed in Ōtautahi Christchurch during the city’s immediate recovery period. Both performances are also linked through the artist’s interest in regeneration and community labour centred around the soil.
Many of ‘Uhila’s performances incorporate silence and passivity–including the action of sitting still–to interrogate what he describes as maumau-taimi, “wasting time”. This practice turns attention to, and critiques expectations of labour, gender, and value projected onto the body through the lens of the artist’s experiences. In Kelekele Mo‘ui (Living Soil) the practice of maumau-taimi is juxtaposed with intense physical labour and endurance, and the aliveness and visceral qualities of the soil, such as smell and touch.
Kalisolaite ‘Uhila was born in 1981 in the Kingdom of Tonga. He lives and works in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. ‘Uhila has received widespread recognition for his outstanding contributions to contemporary performance art. In 2017 he won the contemporary Pacific Artist Award at the Creative New Zealand Pasifika Arts Awards and in 2014 he was nominated for the Walters Prize. He has been awarded artist residencies at Montalvo Arts Centre, California, 2018; Youkobo Art Space, Tokyo, 2018, and ZK/U & Ifa Galerie Residency, Berlin, 2016. ‘Uhila was awarded the Harriet Friedlander Residency by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand to live and work in New York City from 2023-24.
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