For the final three months of 2024, {Suite} Wellington will celebrate the life and work of the late Ans Westra with a series of exhibitions and community initiatives. On show will be a large amount of previously unseen material, aligning with a public programme of talks and events relating to Ans’ work and a city-wide campaign to identify more people portrayed in her 64 years of social documentary photography.
October - Learning and Education
October will focus on Ans’ significant contribution to learning and education in Aotearoa New Zealand. The breadth and range of her work is exemplified by the three school publications on exhibit:
Viliami of the Friendly Islands (1963): 3-10 October
Holiday in the Capital (1968): 11-19 October
Children of Holland (1969): 25-31 October
On 9 October, {Suite} hosts a panel discussion on Ans’ contribution to learning and her impact on New Zealand education. Featuring recently appointed Race Relations Conciliator, Doctor Melissa Derby, Professor Paul Moon, author of Ans Westra: A Life in Photography and moderated by writer, curator, producer Mark Amery.
November – Global Views
On show from 1-20 November will be photographs from two significant bodies of work made when Ans travelled to the Philippines, and in New York City in the mid-eighties:
New York City (1987): 1-10 November
The Philippines (1986): 11-20 November
To accompany the New York City exhibition, and commenting on our place in the world, International Legal Academic, Doctor Alexander Gillespie will give a talk at {Suite} on 7 November, just days after the US election, discussing the result, and the implications for New Zealand. Introduced by {Suite} Director David Alsop.
December - Nō hea koe? Ko wai koe?
Ans’ vast image archive is now housed on the National Library of New Zealand's website together with catalogued details of locations, dates and people portrayed in the images where known.
Artist Suzanne Tamaki, Māori Arts and Events Facilitator at Wellington City Council, will lead Nō hea koe? Ko wai koe?, a community campaign around Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington to identify more people in Ans’ photos.
On 21 November, Ans’ daughter Lisa van Hulst will introduce a korero at {Suite} about the Nō hea koe? Ko wai koe? project with National Library of New Zealand Photography Curator, Doctor Louise Garret, Research Librarian, Pacific, Suliana Vea, and Suzanne Tamaki.
On 19 December {Suite} will host a community morning tea to conclude the project.
Click here for more detailed descriptions of the events and links to RSVP.
For the final three months of 2024, {Suite} Wellington will celebrate the life and work of the late Ans Westra with a series of exhibitions and community initiatives. On show will be a large amount of previously unseen material, aligning with a public programme of talks and events relating to Ans’ work and a city-wide campaign to identify more people portrayed in her 64 years of social documentary photography.
October - Learning and Education
October will focus on Ans’ significant contribution to learning and education in Aotearoa New Zealand. The breadth and range of her work is exemplified by the three school publications on exhibit:
Viliami of the Friendly Islands (1963): 3-10 October
Holiday in the Capital (1968): 11-19 October
Children of Holland (1969): 25-31 October
On 9 October, {Suite} hosts a panel discussion on Ans’ contribution to learning and her impact on New Zealand education. Featuring recently appointed Race Relations Conciliator, Doctor Melissa Derby, Professor Paul Moon, author of Ans Westra: A Life in Photography and moderated by writer, curator, producer Mark Amery.
November – Global Views
On show from 1-20 November will be photographs from two significant bodies of work made when Ans travelled to the Philippines, and in New York City in the mid-eighties:
New York City (1987): 1-10 November
The Philippines (1986): 11-20 November
To accompany the New York City exhibition, and commenting on our place in the world, International Legal Academic, Doctor Alexander Gillespie will give a talk at {Suite} on 7 November, just days after the US election, discussing the result, and the implications for New Zealand. Introduced by {Suite} Director David Alsop.
December - Nō hea koe? Ko wai koe?
Ans’ vast image archive is now housed on the National Library of New Zealand's website together with catalogued details of locations, dates and people portrayed in the images where known.
Artist Suzanne Tamaki, Māori Arts and Events Facilitator at Wellington City Council, will lead Nō hea koe? Ko wai koe?, a community campaign around Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington to identify more people in Ans’ photos.
On 21 November, Ans’ daughter Lisa van Hulst will introduce a korero at {Suite} about the Nō hea koe? Ko wai koe? project with National Library of New Zealand Photography Curator, Doctor Louise Garret, Research Librarian, Pacific, Suliana Vea, and Suzanne Tamaki.
On 19 December {Suite} will host a community morning tea to conclude the project.
Click here for more detailed descriptions of the events and links to RSVP.
