An exhibition by contemporary artist George Watson (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Mutunga whakapapa, Moriori hokopapa), Power to Define examines identity that is both autobiographical and national. Comprising readymades and familial objects of significance, Watson considers Aotearoa New Zealand’s complex settler colonial history and what it means to be part of it.

A title borrowed from a 2009 painting made by the late Robyn Kahukiwa, Power to Define addresses tendencies, systems and structures which endure in this place. Positioning herself within the arc of Aotearoa’s history, Watson’s open-ended enquiry prods at deep-seated notions of who we are.

George Watson is the recipient of the 2026 Jann Medlicott Award for Contemporary Art, with thanks to the Acorn Foundation.