Always Song in the Water: An Ode to Moana Oceania

Text by Gregory O'Brien.
An earlier edition of this book, Always Song In The Water - An Oceanic Sketchbook, was published by Auckland University Press in 2019.
Language: English.

Always song in the water is an imaginative exploration of Aotearoa’s oceanic environment and our connections across Moana Oceania. This expanded edition of the now out-of-print 2019 book accompanies an exhibition at the New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui A Tangaroa, curated by Gregory O’Brien and Jaqui Knowles, and revisits themes first explored in the Kermadec—Nine Artists in the South Pacific exhibition.

Featuring new and commissioned works by artists including John Pule, Yuki Kihara and John Walsh, the project reflects on cultural connections across the Pacific while addressing urgent environmental concerns such as overfishing, pollution and the need for ocean sanctuaries. Together, the exhibition and book celebrate the artistic and poetic potential of Moana Oceania while calling for a deeper relationship with the ocean and its ecosystems.