SaVĀge K’lub

Presented alongside Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao, the SaVĀge K’lub is a multi-disciplinary vehicle to explore ideas of hospitality, culture and identity. SaVĀge K’lub come together to celebrate all forms of art and culture, collaborating to acti.VĀ.te people and things.

First conceived by artist and scholar Rosanna Raymond in 2010, the SaVĀge K’lub is named in reference to an historical gentleman’s club first established in London in the nineteenth century. The capitalization of VĀ in the middle of the word privileges the Samoan notion of vā – relational space between people and things. Vā is one of the founding principles ensuring Moana-based creative practices and protocols are at the centre of their collective practice.

The SaVĀge K’lub have participated in large-scale research-based art projects in Australia, Aotearoa NZ, UK and Hawaii working with Queensland Museum, QAGOMA, Auckland Museum, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongawera, the Bishop Museum and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Curator: Rosanna Raymond MNZM, Adjunct Senior Curator, Special Projects