The University of Auckland
The University of Auckland
09/07/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/06/2026 22:16
Exhibition 'Sharing wisdom: weaving together learning, memory and belonging'
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Exhibition 'Sharing wisdom: weaving together learning, memory and belonging'
07 September 2026
Discover how Māori and Chinese communities have preserved, shared and adapted knowledge through language, art, memory and tradition in a new exhibition in Te Herenga Mātauranga Whānui, General Library from 18 September 2026.
Rourou Mātauranga: Tuia te ako, te mahara, te hono
共享智慧：编织学习、记忆与归属的纽带
Sharing wisdom - weaving together learning, memory and belonging offers an opportunity to explore how two distinct yet deeply rooted cultures, Māori and Chinese, have retained and transmitted cultural knowledge across generations, while finding common ground in their values and experiences.
The exhibition is a collaboration between the Office of the Pro-Vice Chancellor Māori, the Confucius Institute in Auckland, and He Māra Mahara, Cultural Collections.
Detail from Te Whānau Raranga o Waitākere (Maureen Lander, 2018). University of Auckland Art Collection.
Across Māori and Chinese cultures, wisdom is not held only in books. It lives in language, ancestry, food, land, ritual, art, movement and memory. Bringing together taonga, ancient texts, images and artworks, Sharing wisdom explores how distinct cultural traditions preserve and share knowledge across and between generations.
From whakataukī and Chinese proverbs to whakapapa, market gardens, moon traditions and language learning, visitors are invited to consider how inherited knowledge continues to shape contemporary identity, belonging and cross-cultural understanding in Aotearoa New Zealand.
焦秉貞, 康熙, 雍正, 乾隆. (between 1796-1816). 御製耕織圖. Yu zhi geng zhi tu. [北京 : 内府] Beijing : Nei fu. Special Collections Asian Languages .
Collections on display showcase moments of encounter, exchange, and respect, offering a deeper understanding of how Māori and Chinese communities have contributed to the cultural fabric of Aotearoa and continue to build connections across oceans, generations, and cultures.
To delve deeper into the exhibition and the collections, book to attend a curator talk or the hands-on Chinese calligraphy workshop.
Visit the exhibition
18 September 2026-22 February 2027
Monday to Friday 11am-4pm
He Māra Mahara Cultural Collections, Level M, Te Herenga Mātauranga Whānui General Library.
Curator talks
Sharing Wisdom Exhibition
Join curators Nigel Bond and Jacob Powell for an exhibition tour in He Māra Mahara. Bookings essential.
Register for: 10.30-11.30am, Wednesday 23 September 2026
Register for: 10.30-11.30am, Wednesday 17 February 2027
He Māra Mahara Cultural Collections, Level M, Te Herenga Mātauranga Whānui General Library.
Workshop
Hands-on Chinese calligraphy workshop
Join the curators and special guest for a hands-on workshop learning the artistry and techniques of Chinese calligraphy. Bookings essential as numbers are strictly limited.
Register for: 11.30am-12.30pm, Wednesday 28 October 2026
Register for: 1-2pm, Wednesday 28 October 2026
Confucious Institute, Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland, Pembridge House, 31 Princes Street, Auckland Central 1010.
Enquiries
Email: [email protected]
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