Port Chalmers XII 1999

Ralph Hotere, a Māori artist of Te Aupōuri and Te Rarawa descent, crafted "Port Chalmers XII," a work deeply embedded in the landscape and history of Aotearoa New Zealand. Hotere’s practice often involved repurposing industrial materials, here using metal to create a dynamic surface. The work features a prominent cross, a form that can be read in multiple ways: as a Christian symbol introduced through colonization, but also, perhaps, as a sign that intersects with Māori cosmology and the significance of the Southern Cross constellation. The metallic ground evokes the port itself, reflecting the industrial presence and the labor of the community. Hotere once said, "The landscape is in my blood." The emotional resonance of the work lies in its layered meanings, negotiating cultural identity, the impacts of colonialism, and the enduring presence of the land. It asks us to consider how these histories are etched into both the landscape and our collective memory.