Golden Lion for the Best Participant in Foreigners Everywhere
Motivation: “The Maori Mataaho Collective has created a luminous woven structure of straps that poetically crisscross the gallery space. Referring to matrilinear traditions of textiles with its womb-like cradle, the installation is both a cosmology and a shelter. Its impressive scale is a feat of engineering that was only made possibly by the collective strength and creativity of the group. The dazzling pattern of shadows cast on the walls and floor harks back to ancestral techniques and gestures to future uses of such techniques“.
This Maori collective of four artists is famous for its large-scale installations characterized by the use of materials such as synthetic marine ropes, reflective tape and tarpaulins. Its work investigates the accessibility and cultural heritage of the thousand-year-old New Zealand people of Polynesian origin. Nature and tradition prove to be intimately interconnected thanks to the powerful scenic impact of their ensemble installations.
