Te-Wheke – The Adversary didn’t look ready for a fight. Instead, the outsize rubber octopus bobbed quietly up and down, its textured tentacles occasionally appearing to jump from Darling Harbour’s quiet waters to seize a passing insect.
But Maori creator, Lisa Reihana told a tale of journeying, discovery and bloody battle that justified her red colouration for the creature’s outsize head. What she didn’t do is explain why her ancestor Tamatea had to kill the poor creature – which may (or may not) have lead him and his waka (canoe) from Hawaiki to discover Aotearoa. But the mythical blood spilt can still be seen when a red sunset is reflected on the sea.
I’m also quite attracted to the Wikipedia suggestion that the full name – Te Wheke-a-Muturangi – actually refers symbolically to the many navigation paths centered on the island of Raiatea, Hawaiki’s cultural capital, with Te Wheke’s tentacles reaching out across the Pacific to the edges of the Polynesian Triangle, with NZ at its southern tip.
Anyway, head for Packer’s Pekker at Barangaroo throughout the Festival, and there she lies in Watermans Cove. A QR code is supposed to tell stories – but drove me in frustration to Wikipedia instead! Alternatively, you can pick up a kayak at the National Maritime Museum across the water and paddle yourself to within Te Wheke’s bobbing tentacle-reach.
But the Festival got a good launch. No less than the Governor of NSW, Hon Margaret Beazley AC KC did the honours very sweetly, Artistic Director (since 2022) Olivia Ansell told us what a good time we’d have for the next three weeks, and Muruwari man Matt Doyle welcomed us all to Gadigal Land, blew his yidaki and smoked a few dignitaries and the large Maori choir that was on hand to welcome Te Wheke across the ditch.
What else should culture vultures of the Indigenous take in? The Festival’s Blakout section curated by Jacob Nash continues Wesley Enoch’s invention of The Vigil on 25th January – leading us gently into the controversies of the next day. Let’s hope it has a little more substance this year than last.
But before then, Ilbijerri Theatre company from Melbourne make a welcome visit with ‘Big Name, No Blankets’, a tribute to those legendary Papunya musos, the Warumpi Band – creators of ‘Blackfella/Whitefella’ and ‘My Island Home’. Rock on. The distaff side of Aboriginal life gets a workout from Anita Heiss, who’s adapted her novel ‘Tiddas’ at Belvoir Theatre. We head to Meriam Mer in the Torres Strait for an environmental exercise, ‘Gurr Era Op’ from Force Majeur. And end up across in Broome for the wonderful Marrugeku’s danced portrait of that town’s pearling industry, ‘Mutiara’.
Rich pickings.
In the absence of any significant Indigenous visual art on show, you’d better head for some performance.
