Art can tell stories about ourselves and the world around us. Conventional narratives allow only a narrow section of society to dominate our galleries – often male, Western and heterosexual. With a title that acknowledges the complexity of the task, Perilous considers the challenges and possibilities of making space for fresh voices, untold narratives and disruptive ideas. This expanded view of the collection combines many kinds of art-making and introduces exciting new acquisitions. Within it, artists draft relationships between our histories and future, creating new forms of seeing and communicating – and uncovering some unexpected, exhilarating ancestors along the way.

A gauche pour illustrer le propos de la commissaire de Perilous à l’Art Gallery de Christchurch, un autoportrait de Meg Porteaus qui représente la complexité de la figure féminine à travers l’Histoire de l’Art. Et à droite un autre autoportrait de Louise Afoa, titré Blue Calm en référence à la peinture de la renaissance italienne et en particulier à Boticelli.