Latest news with #Indo-Fijian
Scoop
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Quishile Charan To Attend Summer School In Balkans Thanks To A Grant From Tautai
Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust and the Office for Contemporary Art Aotearoa are pleased to announce that Quishile Charan will be attending the 2025 Summer School | Revolutionary Roads. Destination: Comradeship, in the Balkans in August, thanks to a grant from Tautai as part of their new Artists Across Borders initiative. Quishile Charan and Matthew Galloway have both been invited to participate in the 4th edition of the Summer School, Revolutionary Roads. Destination: Comradeship, organized jointly by the Moderna galerija (Ljubljana), the Museum of African available from Tautai through their new Artists Across Borders initiative, Quishile is now able to accept the invitation and join Matthew, who was selected by the summer school organisers to receive a travel grant from the Office for Contemporary Art Aotearoa. Dr Olivia Laita, Operations Director at Tautai said: "This is our first year launching our Artists Across Borders initiative, which is dedicated to supporting Pasifika Artists who have been invited to participate in international Contemporary Art projects. Often, artists need support from multiple sources to fulfil one project and Artist Across Borders is just that, a top up fund that can make a significant difference. To date, we are proud to have supported three exceptional recipients, including Quishile . Her international project stood out as both compelling and rare. The strength of her application, combined with her remarkable track record, made her a clear and deserving recipient of this support. We look forward to hearing all about it on her return!" Quishile and Matthew will join the 28 Summer School participants, from 21 countries, on a nomadic learning experience, traveling through three cities in the Balkans — Ljubljana (Slovenia), Belgrade (Serbia), and Podgorica (Montenegro) — while exploring the legacy of Yugoslav socialism, solidarity work actions, antifascist monuments, and the cultural connections of the Non-Aligned Movement. This journey will include lectures, workshops, discussions, and performances, with a special focus on 'locally situated knowledge.' The participants will engage with three distinctive museum collections that challenge traditional Western-centric art histories and canons. Te Whanganui-a-Tara based artist, Matthew Galloway, and Indo-Fijian, Tāmaki Makaurau based artist Quishile Charan were both selected by the Summer School organizers, from more than fifteen applicants from Aotearoa New Zealand, who the selectors noted were of a very high standard. About Quishile Charan Indo-Fijian craft and social practitioner, researcher, writer and critical theorist Quishile Charan approaches craft as a science-fiction practice of building new worlds from the seeds of reality. As a descendent of Girmit (indentured labour)— part of a history and present in which autonomy was/continues to be denied to her people—Quishile holds close a core set of anarchist—anti-colonial, anti institution, anti-authority—values. In her experimental, relational pursuits, Quishile expresses these values while seeking to form different visions of home with her own hands. Melted into Indo Fijian gardening, cooking and living, it's a family effort that prioritises the anti-colonial work of nurturing and caring for each other outside of Western hegemony. Quishile's practice cannot function without the people in her life. A lot of her work lies in these relationships—choosing her family, holding them in the fabric of community and moving beyond historical systems of harm. Quishile has an MVA from Auckland University of Technology, where she also completed a PhD in visual arts. She has exhibited at institutions including Artspace Aotearoa, Tāmaki Makaurau; SAVVY Contemporary, Berlin; and Kunsthalle Wien Museum. You can find Quishile working at her whare/ghar, which she shares with her chosen family in Aotearoa, making tarkari for loved ones, deep in talanoa while tending to her dye pots and sewing in the garage. About Matthew Galloway An interdisciplinary artist, Matthew's work operates within a documentarian and historiographic mode, engaging critically with social, political, and environmental issues through the tools and methodologies of design. Matthew commented 'Much of my recent work has centred on resource extraction and power dynamics within industrial systems, with an emphasis on questioning the colonial and capitalist frameworks that shape them. The opportunity to participate in Revolutionary Roads. Destination: Comradeship provides a deeply valuable context for expanding this research. I am excited to see how the themes of this program play out across different locations, and to learn from the participants and facilitators involved.' These research themes are seen in two of his ongoing bodies of work. Empty Vessels, produced in collaboration with Sahrawi artist, Mohamed Sleiman Labat, directly addresses Aotearoa New Zealand's ongoing reliance on phosphate rock (used for the production of fertilisers) mined from occupied Western Sahara. By tracing the movement of phosphate-carrying ships and counter-surveilling infrastructures of oppression, the project seeks to amplify subjugated voices and present alternative ways of understanding and resisting systems of extraction. This collaborative work highlights the importance of solidarity and dialogue, aligning strongly with the ethos of the Non-Aligned Movement explored by the Summer School program. Similarly, Matthew's project The Power that Flows Through Us investigates the socio-political context surrounding the Clyde Dam, a monument to the infrastructural ambitions of mid- century New Zealand politics. This research examines the hydro dam as a political site, asking what memories it holds, and considering the way such State infrastructures continue to govern everyday life. Matthew Galloway is a current doctoral candidate at Elam School of Fine Arts, and a Teaching Fellow, The School of Design Innovation, Wellington Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation, Victoria University. He is represented in Aotearoa New Zealand by Sumer. About the Summer School The 2025 Summer School | Revolutionary Roads. Destination: Comradeship, will address three main topics: 'Other Easts': Re-examining the East through a decolonial and pluralized lens, with a focus on the Arteast 2000+ collection in Ljubljana. Monuments & Memory: Examining the post-WWII Partisan resistance monuments created in Yugoslavia, which commemorate the antifascist struggle and the socialist revolution. Many of these monuments, ranging in style from socialist realism to modernism, were damaged or destroyed after the changes in regime in the 1990s. The participants will reflect on how these monuments shape collective memory and identity. Challenging the Western Canon: Exploring three museum collections that break away from linear, traditional art-historical narratives: Arteast 2000+, the collection and archives of the Belgrade Museum of African Art, and the collection of the art of non-aligned countries in Montenegro Museum of Contemporary Art. These collections offer diverse, non-linear explorations of art, politics, and history, and will allow the participants to broaden their perspectives on the legacies of the East and the Non-Aligned Movement.
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- General
- NZ Herald
Diary of a Smith & Caughey's sales girl: What it was like working for the iconic Auckland retailer
It wasn't jealousy, exactly. More a kind of intrigue, laced with the knowledge that accent alone could open and close doors. Good afternoon, ma'am. Of course, sir. That's a beautiful choice, ma'am. I listened, I mimicked, and I understood no one else knew about the game. But they were still playing. Let me explain. This was my first exposure to the upper class of Aotearoa. I was 18. It was a far cry from the thundering laughter and humility of Onehunga, where I was raised, shaped and gifted a tongue. I'm also an Indo-Fijian immigrant. It was 2010. I remember serving Christopher Luxon. He told me he ran an airline. It would have been 2013 or 2014. He came in alone to the Newmarket branch of Smith & Caughey's and got two shirts. As I was bagging up, he asked me if I was a student. I was used to men coming in and making useless conversation, often bizarre tales, that non-casually wove in ludicrous wealth. I'm a manager of this and that, they would say. I've travelled here and there. Once, a middle-aged man detailed coherently in 10 long minutes how he helped forge passports to get people out of the Bosnian War. All I asked was if he needed help finding something. These chats almost always led to an invitation to 'talk more' and a gifting of the holy business card at the till. I'm very aware of how conceited I sound, but this happened. Every single shift. The shop's window display showing some of the history of the store after it announced its closure. Photo / Dean Purcell I remember thinking they were all boring, and I didn't understand at that age why they thought talking about jobs and wealth was a good way to flirt. Perhaps it was because, as a student on basically minimum wage, I knew I couldn't reciprocate. Perhaps it was because the main shop we got our clothes from growing up was The Warehouse. Perhaps it was because it isn't a good way to flirt. I would smile. I would feign interest; being polite was my job. Luxon wasn't at all like that, though. Not with me anyway. I told him I was studying a BA in Politics and Spanish. The degree that gets criticised for poor job prospects. I expressed my uncertainty about my future. He said: 'I studied the same thing [referring to the politics part, though I'm not sure in what capacity], and now look, I'm the CEO of Air New Zealand.' I never forgot that moment for two reasons. One, Luxon did indeed succeed in inspiring a young student suffering from disenchantment. Two, it didn't feel like I was his tool to score validation. Luxon's politics as the leader of one of the country's most conservative coalition governments to date aside, that energy was rare in the menswear department. The Queen St branch. Photo / Michael Craig Although the talk was often dull, I admit I was always curious about how they came to be how they were. I'd serve men with their breast-implanted trophy wives, fashion designers, models, gangsters, politicians, sugar babies, drug dealers, chief executives, escorts, the I-grew-up-poor-and-now-I'm-here people, the generational wealth people and the I-wear-real-fur kind of people. Not all of them were pillocks, of course. I've had plenty of nice and kind conversations with customers at Smith & Caughey's. But being nice and kind is the baseline. What I remember more is the absurdity of exchanges with some of them, fascinated by their delusion of power. And that's what this story is about. I remember when a man literally threw his cash at me after I asked for payment. 'There you go, I just paid your wages,' he said, looking at me dead straight in the eye. I looked at the woman, presumably his wife, standing beside him physically and, apparently, metaphorically. Are you okay with your husband speaking to me like that? I said to her with my eyes. She held the same expression as him and said nothing. Once, an older man of large stature, maybe in his 60s, perhaps even early 70s, walked in and stopped dead when he saw me. I greeted him as I was trained to do. He looked me up and down without any coyness. Instead of greeting me back, he said loudly: 'Mmm, I want you. I want a piece of you'. While I was no stranger to flattery, this felt different. His eyes were wide and locked in. The arrogance of his display told me he didn't play by normal social rules. He didn't touch me. He didn't come closer. He didn't say anything more. And yet my frozen body wanted to get as far away from him as possible. The announcement of the store's closure attracted nostalgic crowds. Photo / Dean Purcell What followed is a blur; I found an excuse to walk away and hide, forcing my colleague to attend to him. After a while, I returned, and the man had left. I told the security guard what happened, more out of making conversation than to prompt action. His anger surprised me. The security guard went out onto the street to see if he could spot him. He reviewed the security footage. He told the assistant store manager, who then came down to personally check if I was okay. I will note that I always felt physically safe while at work. It was clear that our store manager was protective of her staff. Before this job, I was a part-time sales assistant at a Hallensteins outlet store in Dressmart. There, discounts were king. Here, in the land of $200 keychains, discounts were offensive. I remember the first time I voluntarily told a Smith & Caughey's customer about a sale. It was also the last. The woman was looking for a nice handbag, which was the department I started in before moving to menswear. I showed her the ones on special first, thinking she would be grateful to know – everything is rudely expensive, after all – and it's a normal practice for retail staff. But this wasn't a normal place. I might as well have told her I had a lovechild with her son and stole her cat. She didn't need to buy things on sale. The price didn't matter. She could buy anything in the store if she wanted to, and I darn well should know that. I remember the first time a customer shouted at me. It had to have been in my first year. His signature did not match his credit card. I politely let him know, even asked if he wanted to try again. He started pointing his finger. He started protruding his veins. It was like he morphed into an evil character from a Hayao Miyazaki film. 'YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DO THIS TO ME. NOT TODAY. I AM A LOYAL CUSTOMER,' he screamed as he walked off with the goods. I was shaken and in tears. I didn't know how to handle angry men then. I'm not sure I know how to handle them now. Concerned about a potential theft that I let happen, I informed my superiors. The counter manager told me they called him, secured payment and that he was sorry for how he treated me. A colleague told me the company called and apologised to him before rewarding him with store credit for his loyalty. I remember a man walked in with – I kid you not – his nose in the air. Our conversation was the following: 'Good afternoon,' I said. 'I need a pair of jeans, but I am far too rich for you. Smith & Caughey's won't have the jeans that I need. I am too rich,' he said. It was like a scene from a cartoon. There is nothing wrong with grandeur inherently, nor the desire to show appreciation for someone's artistry and the beauty of their creations. Feeding a fantasy is something else. Some Smith & Caughey's customers, I know, felt special when they were inside. They felt like they 'made it' – they were 'a somebody'. To simply be seen there, for many, I believe, was always the point. A masterclass in marketing. Until it wasn't.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Temple desecrated in Fiji: 100-year-old idol vandalised; accused sent for psychiatric evaluation
Photo: Generative AI NEW DELHI: The vandalism of a century-old Hindu temple in Suva has triggered widespread condemnation and renewed concerns over the safety of Fiji's Indo-Fijian community, with former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum accusing the government of turning a blind eye to a rise in targeted attacks, reported news outlet RNZ. The incident occurred on Friday at the historic Samabula Shiv Temple, where 100-year-old idols were reportedly destroyed. Religious groups and political leaders have voiced outrage over what is being described as a deeply disturbing act of sacrilege. A 28-year-old man, identified as Samuela Tawake, was charged with one count of alleged sacrilege and one count of throwing an object. He appeared in the Suva Magistrates Court on Monday and was remanded in custody for two weeks pending a psychiatric evaluation, according to local media reports. Sayed-Khaiyum, in a strong statement, alleged that attacks against the Indo-Fijian community were increasing and criticised the government for its lack of response. Labour Party leader and former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry also condemned the act but urged the public not to view it as a sign of growing religious intolerance in Fiji. In a Facebook post, he acknowledged the outrage within the Hindu community but suggested the accused appeared to be mentally unwell and that the matter should be handled with sensitivity. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Jag stänger ner. 70% rabatt - Utförsäljning (sista kollektionen) Handmakarens rapport LÄS NU Undo The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission has called on the police to take firm action. Director Loukinikini Lewaravu said such acts of sacrilege were not only morally reprehensible but also a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of religion and belief. The Vishva Hindu Parishad Fiji, meanwhile, issued a strong statement denouncing the 'heinous desecration' of sacred idols, urging authorities to ensure justice is served and religious sites are better protected.
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Pacific News In Brief For 24 June
Tonga - dengue Six new cases of dengue fever have been reported in Tonga, bringing the total to 879 as of Monday. More than half of the confirmed cases are on the main island, Tongatapu. One person is in Niueiki Hospital in stable condition. A dengue outbreak was declared in Tonga in February, with three dengue-related deaths recorded. Tonga - travel proposals Tonga's Prime Minister 'Aisake Eke says he is "seriously alarmed" that the nation is reportedly included in the United States' proposed expansion of travel restrictions. Dr Eke told Matangi Tonga the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with the US Consulate in Nuku'alofa to formulate a response to the US government. Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are said to be included in an extended list of 36 extra countries that the Trump administration is considering banning on entering the US, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters. West Papua - lobster Biologists have discovered seven news species of freshwater lobster in Indonesia's West Papua region. Their findings are the result of biodiversity research by Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in collaboration with independent researchers from Germany. Dr Rury Eprilurahman, one of the university's research authors, said the new species were discovered in remote freshwater ecosystems with minimal human activity. He said researchers looked at body shape and colour to confirm these were truly distinct species. Fiji - orphanages A Fijian cabinet minister says two-thirds of the children in Fiji's orphanages are from Indo-Fijian communities. The Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran told a radio show in Suva that this is a serious issue that continues to be ignored. Kiran told Radio Sargam that homelessness, drug use, violence and HIV in the indo-Fijian community is under-reported, compared to iTaukei or indigenous children.
