Before setting sail for Auckland aboard HMNZS Aotearoa, the New Zealand Governor-General wanted to stop by New Plymouth's contemporary art gallery.
Dame Patsy Reddy and her husband, Sir David Gascoigne, visited the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre on Tuesday to look at Brett Graham’s exhibition, Tai Moana Tai Tangata.
“It's had such amazing word of mouth and publicity and Brett’s an artist we’ve long been interested in,” she said.
The exhibition uses videos and large art pieces to revisit key events of New Zealand’s history, as witnessed by Māori, and commemorates the historic relationships and political pacts between Tainui and Taranaki iwi.
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A long-time fan of Graham’s work, Dame Patsy said she was blown away by the exhibition.
“It was extremely moving and so stunning,” she said, “I’ve seen a lot of his work but never on this scale.”
“I will always remember it and I hope that there will be support for at least keeping one of the works here, because they won't look the same anywhere else.”
Dame Patsy also got to see Len Lye’s work, including a new feature called Dancing Wands, where seven silver poles with bells on them move around.
“I think it’s exhilarating.”
As Governor-General, Dame Patsy acts as the Queen's representative in New Zealand.
The role includes giving "royal assent" to laws passed by Parliament, attending important public ceremonies, and hosting welcome ceremonies for visiting heads of state.
Dame Patsy took on the largely ceremonial position in 2016 on a five-year term.
She was accompanied on her tour by Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre director Zara Stanhope, deputy director Antony Rhodes and chair of the Govett-Brewster Foundation John Leuthart.
“She's really interested in contemporary art,” Stanhope said.
“It’s nice that she’s put it into her itinerary and taken the time to come.”
Following the tour of GBAG/LLC, Dame Patsy and her husband boarded the Navy’s newest and biggest ship, HMNZS Aotearoa, for its three day journey back to Auckland.
“Here’s hoping I don't get sea sick,” she laughed, but put an anti-motion sickness patch at the back of her ear just in case.
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