Update 28 July 2026
Talking of birds; Christchurch Art Gallery is programmed to present a major exhibition featuring New Zealand birds. “Bird Land: Te Kāhui Manu” will run from 15 August to 08 February 2027 and admission will be free. Exhibits include works by Don Binney, Conor Clarke, Shane Cotton, Lily Daff, Elizabeth & John Gould, Fred Graham, Bill Hammond, Charles Heaphy, Ralph Hotere, Eileen Mayo, Colin McCahon, Dane Mitchell, Fiona Pardington, Michael Parekōwhai, Bridget Reweti, Wi Taepa, Lois White, Robin White et al.
The exhibition is described by the gallery thus; “The islands of Aotearoa New Zealand were once inhabited by birds. Shrieking, warbling, tinkling, booming. Forest, river, marsh, mountain, ocean, shore - everything charged with their mauri, life force”.
Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans) photograph by Connor Clarke titled Tirohanga Manu 2025. Permanent collection of Christchurch Art gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, purchased 2025. Connor Clarke is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Canterbury, Fine Arts, Faculty of Arts.
June 2026
Dr Fiona Pardington (born 1961) is an esteemed New Zealand photographer. She is an Officer of the NZOM (New Zealand Order of Merit) honouree.
Dr Pardington is of Māori descent (Ngāi Tahu, Kati Mamoe and Ngāti Kahungunu) together with Scottish descendancy (Clan Cameron of Erracht).
In 2003 she was awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree (First Class Honours) from Elam School of Fine Arts and in 2013 graduated with a Doctor of Fine Arts majoring in photography.
In 2016 Pardington was bestowed a Knight (Chevalier) in the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres) by the French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls. She was the first New Zealand visual artist to have been invested with the honour.
She is exhibiting seventeen of her large-scale avian photographic works at the sixty first Venice Biennale which opened 09 May this year and runs until 22 December 2026 at the Istituto Provinciale per l’Infanzia Santa Maria della Pietà di Venezia.
The Rejigit title image is Takahē (Porphyrio hochstetteri)
Her works bring about an acknowledgement of some of New Zealand’s extinct and endangered native birds by way of her photography, the subjects of which are in the main taxidermied museum exhibits. Her current Venice Biennale exhibit Creative Director is her brother Neil Pardington and the co-curators are Chloe Cull and Felicity Milburn.
The New Zealand entry is supported by Creative New Zealand and the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū is the official project delivery partner. Some of the exhibition pavilion budget was provided via philanthropic support including that of New Zealand at Venice Patrons.
New Zealand's exhibit is entitled Taharaki Skyside
