Villains and vigilantes: A year of social media justice, from Cuba St to K’ Rd

In recent years social media has helped give a voice to survivors of abuse, often denied them by the justice system. But group mentalities are fickle, and the best intentions can sometimes perpetuate more harm. Jogai Bhatt looks back at a fraught year of social media justice. Warning: includes images of swastikas and other far … Read more

Conversations across time: Toi Tū Toi Ora and the power of Māori art

A morning spent exploring the new Toi Tū Toi Ora Māori contemporary art exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery with curator Nigel Borell stirred up many complex feelings, writes Ātea editor Leonie Hayden. Te ihi, te wehi, te wana are concepts in te ao Māori that provide a handy vocabulary, lacking in English, for describing great … Read more

False flag: The Mercy Pictures furore and the dangerous power of art

The fallout from the Mercy Pictures exhibition People of Colour continues to inflame the Aotearoa art world. Here, art writer and former gallerist Sarah Hopkinson attempts to understand the often contradictory values that produced Mercy Pictures, and what the tumult means for the future of the industry. In October I attended the opening of Mercy … Read more

The Bulletin: Housing kingpins safe for now after Reserve Bank changes

property investment concept

Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Property market set for scorching summer after Reserve Bank announcements, National makes big reshuffle, and Auckland Council facing much bigger deficit. A big day for the Reserve Bank, with a range of announcements on monetary policy, with big implications for the housing market. First of all, … Read more