Rt Hon Winston Peters
Member of Parliament
Leader, New Zealand First

The significance and role of contemporary New Zealand art can be seen in the recent success of the show Paradise Now? Contemporary Art from the Pacific in New York.

11 of the 15 artists were from New Zealand and are representative of the diversity of cultures that we are made up of in the 21st century.

Art is reflective of the society it comes from and for contemporary New Zealand this is the merging of many cultures, particularly Pacific cultures. It addresses issues faced by the coming together of cultures, both socially and politically.

We are a nation that now has generations of people of mixed heritage and the celebration of this can be seen in the work of people like Shane Cotton who explores his bi-cultural background and that of New Zealand.

Contemporary art plays an important role in delving into what New Zealand and New Zealanders are today.