
tu be
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Shona has completed a series of works entitled 'tu be' in which she has taken the iconic London Tube map and replaced all the English place names with Maori names. Waterloo has become Tirau, Leicester Square has become Taupo, Bond St has become Taihape and Canary Wharf is now Paeroa. The map is geographically correct but has north on the right not the top (i.e. you could use it). It is appropriately titled tu be (e tu means ‘stand up’ in Maori) and ‘to be’ being an infamous Shakespearian quote about life or death. The tube map has been manipulated many times over the decades, however, this artwork is a social commentary / parody on the Anglicisation of New Zealand and the imposition of one culture upon another. |
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'tu be' (detail) |