Past
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The Man Who Lived Between Sunset and Moonrise
Reuben Paterson 4 - 30 Nov 2024 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Derek Fox, Reuben Paterson. Kō atu I Te Ikaroa / Beyond the Milky Way Dina Jezdić. Since the late 1990s, Reuben Paterson has emerged as an artist of remarkable curiosity and depth, using glitter to illuminate the probing frontiers of our world and expand the possibilities for reimagination... Read more -
E Kura Reitumanava no Rarotonga (Love letters for Rarotonga)
Sylvia Marsters 8 - 26 Oct 2024 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Guest Speaker, Debbie Sorensen, CEO, Pasifika Medical Association. Sylvia Marsters, a distinguished New Zealand artist of Cook Islands descent, commemorates her 100th career exhibition with E Kura Reitumanava no Rarotonga at Bergman Gallery in Rarotonga. This exhibition showcases a new collection of paintings and prints that reflect her profound connection... Read more -
Aro’a Alofa
Mahiriki Tangaroa + Fatu Feu'u 27 Aug - 28 Sep 2024 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Ewan Smith, Director Air Rarotonga. Fatu Feu'u, Exhibiting Artist. Aro'a Alofa: A Reunion of Artistic Legacies in Pacific Contemporary Art Aro'a Alofa marks the reunion of esteemed artists Mahiriki Tangaroa and Fatu Feu’u, two figures deeply embedded in the evolution of Pacific contemporary art. Feu’u, widely regarded as... Read more -
Archipelago Area 51
Andy Leleisi'uao 28 May - 27 Jul 2024 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speaker, Dr. Teariki Puni. Andy Leleisi'uao's return to Rarotonga for his first solo exhibition in five years continues his exploration of extraterrestrial visitation, alternative social structures, and the critique of entrenched cultural ideologies. Archipelago Area 51 extends themes first articulated in The Umu Collection of Titles (Whitespace Gallery, Auckland,... Read more
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Ta Mataora
Group Exhibition 6 Nov - 23 Dec 2023 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Ta Mataora is an exhibition of Cook Islands Contemporary Art, Sculpture + Film in recognition of the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting, Cook Islands 6-10 November. In the tradition of BCA projects, Tatou (2002) and Te Ata Ou (2003), Ta Mataora presents a survey of recently created Cook Islands... Read more -
Nga Meka Tui Kura (epilogue)
Reuben Paterson + Tungane Broadbent 25 Aug - 30 Sep 2023 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga In November 2022, artists Reuben Paterson (Ngāti Rangitithi, Ngāi Tūhoe, Tūhourangi | New Zealand) and Tungane Broadbent (Rarotonga, Cook Islands) combined for the second time to present the exhibition Nga Meka Tui Kura at the Aotearoa Art Fair, Auckland, New Zealand. Their first pairing had occurred 5 years earlier with... Read more -
E Moemoe'a Naku 2
Sylvia Marsters 25 Jul - 19 Aug 2023 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Ben Bergman, Gallery Director Sylvia Marsters, Artist Sylvia Marsters returns to Rarotonga with her latest solo exhibition, E Moemoe'a Naku 2 , an evocative continuation of her 2022 exhibition E Moemoe'a Naku – A Dream of Mine (Bergman Gallery, Auckland). In this new body of work, Marsters deepens... Read more -
Taura
Nina Oberg Humphries 6 Jun - 15 Jul 2023 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Anthony Wright, Director, Canterbury Museum, Christchurch Nina Oberg Humphries, Artist Taura reimagines Taura Atua, pre-Christian spiritual items (physical representations of gods and ancestors) of the Cook Islands, embodying symbols of migration by combining material from both traditional Polynesian taonga (treasures) and mass-produced dollar store items commonly used by... Read more
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Tautahi – In the Face of Adversity
Benjamin Work 9 May - 3 Jun 2023 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Benjamin Work’s practice is deeply rooted in an examination of identity, cultural memory, and the symbolic language of Tongan traditions. His work engages with the visual and conceptual lineage of kupesi —the intricate geometric patterns historically embedded in Tongan cultural expression, from warfare to tattooing, and now, in the contemporary... Read more -
The Nuku
Joan Gragg 11 Apr - 6 May 2023 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga The Cook Islands Nuku Pageant is an annual cultural experience, where traditional Bible stories are adapted, improvised, and performed live by Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC) village congregations. In true Cook Islands style, humour, reverence, home made costumes, modern props and island wit permeate a lively community performance unlike any... Read more -
New York Rainbows
Billy Apple 16 - 31 Aug 2022 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Billy Apple®’s New York Rainbows pays homage to his pioneering 1965 solo exhibition, Neon Rainbows , first presented at the Bianchini Gallery in New York City. Neon Rainbows was a landmark exhibition in Apple’s early career, widely credited as one of the first to treat electric light as a sculptural... Read more -
Fa'atasi
Group Exhibition 11 Jul - 6 Aug 2022 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speaker, Dr Tearikivao (Kiki) Maoate, Chairman, Pasifika Medical Association Group Fa’atasi (Together) brings together three significant figures in Samoan contemporary art—Fatu Feu’u, Andy Leleisi’uao, and Raymond Sagapolutele—each contributing distinct yet interconnected perspectives on modern Pacific identity. Fatu Feu’u, widely regarded as the godfather of Pacific contemporary art, has played... Read more
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Utopia
Sylvia Marsters 16 Aug - 10 Sep 2021 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Teresa Manarangi - Trott, Keynote Sylvia Marsters, Artist Since 2004, Sylvia Marsters' flower compositions have propelled viewers into a dimension of Island fantasy. Magnificent Gardenias are ever-present in the islands of the Pacific and they surrounded her growing up in Auckland. They were a personal connection, emblematic of... Read more -
Underneath the Mango Tree
Joan Gragg 24 Mar - 23 Apr 2021 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Teina MacKenzie, Keynote Joan Gragg, Artist Mango trees, like their famous palm tree counterparts in Pacific folklore, are a quixotic icon of Island fantasy, their imposing physical stature and delicious, fragrant fruit have few equals. It was the song 'Underneath the Mango Tree' that drifted through that celebrated... Read more -
In a Perfect World
Mahiriki Tangaroa 28 Oct - 14 Nov 2020 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Garth Henderson, Financial Secretary, Ministry of Finance & Economic Management Mahiriki Tangaroa, Artist Mahiriki Tangaroa’s In a Perfect World emerges as a deeply reflective response to the Covid-19 pandemic—a period of uncertainty, isolation, and existential questioning. Conceived in early 2020, the exhibition’s thematic and visual direction underwent a... Read more -
Digital 3, Retro Ed.
Group Exhibition 16 Mar - 2 May 2020 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga In 1979, Video Killed The Radio Star became a worldwide radio hit for British new wave synth pop band The Buggles. The infectious dance tune was a powerfully nostalgic ode, recognizing that the culture and standards of the past were being erased within the rapid rise of a new ‘disposable’... Read more
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A Diasporic Pulse of Faith & Patience
Andy Leleisi'uao 4 Nov 2019 - 15 Feb 2020 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Francis McWhannell, Curator - Fletcher Trust Collection. Andy Leleisi'uao, Artist. 'The series is immediately recognisable for its forms in silhouette, created by brush and hand (Andy likes to speak of his fingerprints being all over his works). The majority are in black and bordered by a misty halo... Read more -
Kia Maeva Tatou
Group Exhibition 7 - 26 Oct 2019 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speaker: Tessa Temata, New Zealand High Commissoner to the Cook Islands. Women have long played a crucial role in the leadership of Cook Islands society, shaping its cultural, social, and political landscapes. Whether in traditional governance, national politics, or contemporary art, vaine (women) have been powerful voices in the... Read more -
Billy Apple in Rarotonga
Billy Apple 27 Aug - 7 Sep 2019 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Billy Apple®, Artist John McCormack, Director, Starkwhite, Auckland At the invitation of Bergman Gallery and with support from his Auckland art dealer, Starkwhite, Billy Apple® presents an exhibition in Rarotonga for the first time. His works are drawn from two of his signature series' - From the Collections... Read more -
Earth, Wind & Fire...Irrespective of Place
Mahiriki Tangaroa 22 Jul - 17 Aug 2019 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Tina Browne, Leader of the Opposition | MP for Rakahanga Brett Porter, Director, TOA Petroleum Mahiriki Tangaroa, Exhibiting Artist Earth, Wind & Fire, Irrespective of Place emerges in response to ongoing national discussions about a potential name change for the Cook Islands-an issue that reignites questions of cultural... Read more
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Tiare Taina
Sylvia Marsters 28 Mar - 18 Apr 2019 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Maria Henderson, Turi Mataiapo Sylvia Marsters, Artist Gardenias have long been a subject close to the heart of Sylvia Marsters. The artist has painted them in increasing detail through out her career. Richly scented, with a full white petal bloom, they evoke a sense of warm climates, sea... Read more -
The Big Blue
Group Exhibition 1 Dec 2018 - 15 Jan 2019 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Color is both an aesthetic and conceptual force in visual culture, shaping meaning, perception, and emotional resonance. The Big Blue , a group exhibition at Bergman Gallery, assembles works by Reuben Paterson, Mahiriki Tangaroa, Mark Cross, Lucas Grogan, and Andy Leleisi'uao, each exploring the multiplicity of blue as a chromatic... Read more -
MPA1
Group Exhibition 20 Oct - 24 Nov 2018 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Peter Marshall, New Zealand High Commissioner, Cook Islands Mahiriki Tangaroa, Artist The Pacific region is a diverse entity, containing 25,000 Islands and spanning a third of the worlds surface. With a rich human history, including astounding feats of navigation and ocean voyaging dating back 50,000 years, Pacific Islanders... Read more -
Infinite Horizon
Matthew Payne 3 Sep - 6 Oct 2018 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Fiona Turner, Winemaker, Tinpot Hut Winery Matthew Payne, Artist Shannon Saunders, CITC The South Pacific has long been framed through an idyllic lens—its turquoise lagoons, palm-lined beaches, and golden light capturing the imagination of European explorers, artists, and modern tourism alike. In Infinite Horizon , Matthew Payne revisits... Read more
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Years of Colour, 1988 - 2018
Kay George 21 Jul - 25 Aug 2018 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers Kay George, Exhibiting Artist Gaye Whitta, General Manager, CITC Joan Gragg, Artist. Kay George’s upcoming solo exhibition at Bergman Gallery marks a significant milestone—thirty years since her arrival in Rarotonga, a journey that has profoundly shaped her artistic practice. This exhibition is both a celebration and a reflection,... Read more -
Mangere Aroha
Andy Leleisi'uao 8 Mar - 4 May 2018 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Rt. Hon Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand & Minister of Arts Culture & Heritage Andy Leleisi’uao, Artist Anthony Wright, Director Canterbury Museum If you alphabetically consider all the first lines of Emily Dickinson's poems, the very last one asks, 'You've seen balloons set, haven't you?' I... Read more -
Return to Havaiki
Andy Leleisi'uao + Benjamin Work 9 Oct - 20 Nov 2017 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Ben Bergman, Director, Bergman Gallery Samantha Beckett, Deputy New Zealand High Commissioner, Cook Islands Today the world is at an ideological precipice. While the Middle East is rife with tribal, religious and geo/political power struggles, America is bamboozled by political and social identity crises defined by racism, bigotry... Read more -
Tungane Broadbent & Reuben Paterson
Today, Tomorrow & Yesterday 4 Jul - 31 Aug 2017 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Ben Plumbly, Director, Art & Object Tungane Broadbent | Reuben Paterson, Artists This exhibition presents as a conversation between the two diverse art forms, Paterson's extraordinary glitter paintings responding to the intricate fabric Tivaivai of Broadbent. Paterson litterally shines a spotlight on this important Pacific practice. Tivaivai are... Read more
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Ei Katu
Tabatha Forbes 16 May - 24 Jun 2017 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Teina Etches, Culture Tabatha Forbes, Artist 'How we see place, how it has been marked and represented in a European context (notably contrasting an indigenous perspective) and how those aesthetics flow in and out of our current understanding and experience is at the centre of my practice. Taking... Read more -
Hibiscus Hedge
Sylvia Marsters 6 Apr - 12 May 2017 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Hon. Henry Puna, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Sylvia Marsters, Exhibiting Artist Sylvia Marsters’ Hibiscus Hedge marks a new phase in her ongoing exploration of botanical imagery, following her acclaimed series New Yorkers Don’t See Flowers (VOLTA Art Fair, NYC, 2014) and the intricate gardenia compositions presented... Read more -
This Woman's Work
Niaval Ngaro 15 Feb - 25 Mar 2017 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Speakers His Excellency, The Queens Representative, Hon. Tom Marsters NiaVal Ngaro, Artist Blondie Short, Bergman Gallery 13 years ago, NiaVal Ngaro thought of creating glass sculptures inspired by a root crop that defines Polynesians and her very own people - Cook Islanders. Born in New Zealand to Cook Islands parents,... Read more -
For King & Country
Benjamin Work 9 Jun - 30 Jul 2016 Bergman Gallery, Rarotonga Opening Speakers: Halatoa Fua, CEO, Cook Islands Tourism John Snowball, Manager, CITC Liquor Benjamin Work, Artist Can the history books be corrected? In the year of the coronation of King Tupou VI, in the Kingdom of Tonga, artist Benjamin Work addresses misconceptions around the recording of historical encounters in Tonga... Read more
