McCahon House, together with founding partners STILL and Asia New Zealand Foundation, are thrilled to announce that Reconciliation, a body of new work by Naoshima Artist in Residence Sarah Hudson (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pūkeko and Ngāi Tūhoe), has opened at the Setouchi Triennale 2025 in Japan.

Reconciliation has been developed over a period of months, during which Sarah travelled between her home in Whakatāne and Japan as part of the Naoshima Artist Residency. The installation, which encompasses a video work, earth pigment paintings and small sculptures, is presented in the nurse’s office of an abandoned secondary school on the island of Megijima.

Sarah responded poetically to the unique context and overarching curatorial framework of the Triennale, which aims to revitalise the island communities of the Seto Inland Sea through art.

“Sarah’s new body of work contemplates the connection between land, islands and identity. She shares her own stories through deep points of connection between the islands of Megijima and Moutohōra. It has been a privilege to work alongside Sarah as she continues to develop her international connections and network.” Jude Chambers, Executive Director of McCahon House Trust

The Setouchi Triennale (18 April – 9 Nov 2025) is a unique internationally-regarded arts event that attracts over a million visitors and has been celebrated for its ability to intertwine contemporary art with the region’s unique cultural and natural landscapes.

Works created during Sarah’s residency will also be featured in two upcoming exhibitions in Aotearoa:

Kia Mau Festival – Wellington
Exhibition of Belonging I & II in conversation with a poem written by AI during Sarah’s research for this project, then translated into te reo Māori. The exhibition has an emphasis on poetry and memory.
2 – 15 June

Te Kōputu – Whakatāne
Exhibition of Belonging I & II, 5 largescale watercolour paintings, historical imagery of Moutohorā in conjunction with Whakatāne Museum and Archives, the poem, and a new series of sculptural works looking at archaeological documentation of wāhi tapu on Moutohorā.
Opening Friday 4 July at 5:30pm
Show runs 5 July – 6 September