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Container or music series
Reclamation Walk
Wellington 2015
Angela Kilford
The reclamation Walk is a performance art project that was born from an interest in memory and memorialisation. The guided tour series unravels the history of Wellington’s shoreline step by step to allow suppressed memories to emerge, while also creating new stories with participants. A Maori worldview of history requires an understanding of whakapapa (genealogy) in affirming identity. The saying “ I nga wa o mua” which eludes to the past being something that lies in front of you rather than something you leave behind illustrates a cyclical view of history and as each person is added to the whakapapa the story moves forward bringing the past with it.
THE CITY SERIES
Angela Kilford is an artist based in Wellington. Her practice investigates memory, memorialisation and landscape. Recent projects demonstrate a keen interest in contested memories within specific sites and seek to elevate oral histories as a means of recording the past. Kilford’s exploration of myth within the construction of a national identity challenges the notion of official histories and reminds us that identity is an evolving concept. Discovering how collective memories are sustained through ritual, bodily performance was a turning point in her practice in 2013. This has led to the development of Kilford’s performance works in which she guides participants on walks through sites of cultural and historical significance.
Artist Assistant - Elijah Winter