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Gathering hundreds of t-shirt photos – and the stories that go with them – from the public is the focus for Auckland Museum’s new Identi-Tee project.
In a first for the museum, the digital crowd-sourcing project is running alongside an exhibition by the same name.
Identi-Tee: Taku Tihate, Taku Korero (My T-shirt, My Story) opens in the Tamaki Gallery this weekend.
To seed the digital project, Auckland Museum gathered stories at the Ngapuhi Festival earlier this year and from its own staff and this weekend will collect more from attendees at the Pasifika Festival.
Identi-Tee co-curator Chanel Clarke, Curator Maori at the museum, says gathering these early t-shirt stories has confirmed the results of the exhibition team’s initial research.
“The depth of meaning attached to these t-shirts and their ability to trigger memories is significant. People attach a vast range of meanings to t-shirts; sometimes it’s simply humour or it can be a way to express a belief, sometimes it is about remembering a place and time, or it can be about identity or unity."
“Common to the t-shirt stories though is a sense that the t-shirt is the enduring physical manifestation that captures and evokes meaning and memory long after the fact."
“T-shirts can speak volumes with little more than a slogan or a logo, or a simple image.”
Exhibition developer Janneen Love says inside the exhibition photos of t-shirt-clad New Zealanders, taken by respected photographer Gill Hanly, provide an interesting lens on our past.
"We''''ve got peace advocate Alyn Ware in a ''''Nukebuster'''' tee with David Lange as nuke-busting hero. Other photos feature a young Pita Sharples in his Te Aute College Jubilee tee and a group performing the haka with t-shirts calling for an end to Waitangi celebrations."
The exhibition also includes t-shirts from the museum’s collections and a film from visual artist Janet Lilo exploring the connections between t-shirts and identity.
People will be invited to share their t-shirt stories onsite in the gallery and Te Kakano Information Centre and online at http://www.identi-tee.com/ from 10 March. The growing digital collection will also appear in the exhibition.
Next weekend a team from the museum will attend Polyfest in Manukau to collect more t-shirt stories and photos.
For more information on the Identi-Tee project or to add your t-shirt story visit http://www.identi-tee.com/
For more information, imagery or to arrange an interview please contact:
Melanie Cooper E: mcooper@aucklandmuseum.com M: 021 899 062
Identi-Tee
Taku Tihate, Taku Korero
My T-shirt, My Story OPEN DAILY 10am-5pm
Tamaki Gallery
Auckland Museum
A blank T-shirt is like a blank canvas. Put words and images on a Tee and it becomes part of your identity. It’s how you share a joke with mates, challenge the establishment, express your beliefs, push a brand or support a band. Maybe it’s the way you show some love for whānau and friends or some pride for your neighbourhood and NZ. Wear the T-shirt and your story is out there. Auckland Museum is gathering the largest digital collection of T-shirts, with the help of the whole community. Join the project and share your T-shirts with the world at http://www.identi-tee.com/. The more T-shirts and stories, the more we find out about us. Inside the exhibition, you can watch a film by visual artist Janet Lilo, check out the Tees on display — and then create your own T-shirt design.
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