From flightless forest dwellers to extinct giants, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū’s exhibition, Bird Land: Te Kāhui Manu, explores Aotearoa New Zealand’s remarkable birdlife through 200 works spanning historical and contemporary art.

Curator Ken Hall says birds offer a unique way into both art and the natural world. “Birds have an extraordinary ability to engage people. They connect art, conservation and everyday experience in a way that few other subjects can. One of the pleasures of this exhibition is that it offers something for everyone. Visitors can simply enjoy the beauty, variety and richness of the works, but they’ll also discover stories about our environment, our history, and the changing relationships between people and birds.

The exhibition brings together artists from across generations and practices, including Ralph Hotere, Fred Graham, Tanya Ashken, Colin McCahon, Bill Hammond, Fiona Pardington, Eileen Mayo, Robin White, Ray Ching, Shane Cotton, Michael Parekōwhai, Neke Moa, Conor Clarke and Bridget Reweti. Through painting, sculpture, photography and customary practice, these artists reveal the many ways birds have shaped Aotearoa New Zealand’s artistic imagination—as subjects of close observation, symbols of identity, expressions of whakapapa and reminders of our changing relationship with the natural world.

Rather than arranging the exhibition chronologically, we’ve grouped works by species and environment, so moving through the Gallery becomes a journey through the landscapes and birdlife of Aotearoa. You’ll encounter familiar forest birds such as pīwakawaka and tūī, meet powerful raptors including the kārearea, and discover species that have disappeared from our world altogether. This exhibition has been a long time in the making. For many years we’ve recognised that birds provide a fascinating lens through which to explore Aotearoa art, and the timing now feels exactly right. Birds occupy an increasingly important place in our understanding of this country’s natural and cultural identity. We’ve also worked closely with mana whenua, who have generously supported the loan of some extraordinary taonga from major museum collections for the exhibition. Bird forms worked in pounamu, wood and whalebone add a significant layer to the stories Bird Land is able to tell.

A substantial public programme accompanies the exhibition, with artist talks, performances, films and family activities exploring birds from many different perspectives.