Just wow, I came here with low expectations, since modern art museums are just gaudy and oversaturated by slop under the guise of contemporary art, and I'm genuinely impressed. There is so much information here, and it really reckons back to the age of European NZ, when bold men fought overseas for their country and Britain.
It's really amazing to see how all the giant sculptures are locally created, being produced by the Weta Workshop which is just out of Wellington and equally as incredible. By the end of my ventures into this museum, after hearing the amazing sound effects added, seeing confronting and realistic imagery, alongside reading memoirs and quotes, often said by the soldiers themselves, I was almost in tears. I remember being at the part depicting a boat filled with nurses and wounded soldiers, surrounded by neon lights and poppies, and I thought to myself, "What was the point of this war?" and "Was all this for nothing?" And that's when the emotions hit.
What really cemented the experience was when I threw a poppy at the feet of a statue, and bowed my head in somber respect to the men who fought and would likely be ashamed of how their descendants are being treated today.
In fact, the experience would have been perfect if it the creators of the exhibition didn't feel the need to try and downplay the accomplishments of the soldiers, by constantly inserting Maori culture and soldiers, both of which while existing, played a minimal part in the war, which was mainly fought by European descended Kiwis. Overall, it felt as though this exhibit, and the entire museum as a whole, just couldn't fully acknowledge the sacrifice and benefits of Kiwis without having to artificially insert some mentioning of Maoris into the equation. While it wasn't a big thing, and didn't detract majorly from the Gallipoli exhibit, there were some ridiculous sections, such as at the end where a sign tried to impose Maori culture onto me, by compelling me to wash my hands at a provided 'Maori approved tap' because in their culture it's 'tradition' to wash your hands after interacting with the dead. While there were more egregious things, like an informational tablet branding Captain Cook as a traitor and saying that Maoris are changing Captain Cook's achievements to fit their narrative, that did not occur in the Gallipoli exhibit itself, so I'll be acknowledging that in a separate review of the exhibit holistically.
Janice_travels_lush
07 Aug 2024
This WW1 exhibit honors those who were there. I was moved by historic dairies, letters. quotes, and press releases. Also, the dioramas and layout of the exhibition is outstanding. In light of the current political situation in NZ it's interest to see the inclusion of Maori language in those historical communications. I also spent some in the Nature exhibit just like a school kid.