Name: Slow Burn – Photography symposium
Start: 2026-02-27T23:00:00+13:00
End: 2026-02-28T07:00:00+13:00
Location: Te Papa

$Slow Burn \u2013 Photography symposium$

A day of collegial conversation about contemporary photography in Aotearoa, with a special focus on the work of women and non-binary photographers.
Full schedule on our website: https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/visit/events/slow-burn-photography-symposium
To celebrate the upcoming photography exhibition Slow Burn | Ahi Tāmau, we're hosting a day of collegial conversation about contemporary photography in Aotearoa. Slow Burn highlights the contribution of women and non-binary photographers, drawing on over a decade of research and collecting.
Held on opening day, this symposium begins with a special opportunity to view the exhibition before the museum opens to the public, followed by a keynote presentation from Natalie Robertson – a leading photographer, moving-image artist, and Associate Professor at Auckland University of Technology. Her practice centres her ancestral river, Waiapu, exploring how "lens-based practice can contribute to iwi-based aspirations for environmental reinvigoration".
Across a series of discussions with Aotearoa photographers, we will explore key threads in contemporary practice — including collaboration, process, and evolving photographic culture – offering insights into the ideas and relationships that shape photography today. We'll close the day in the galleries, with a performance of photographer Ann Shelton’s work The physical garden.
Open to photographers, curators, researchers, students, and anyone with an interest in photography, this event invites participants to connect, reflect, and share.
Tickets $60 (waged) / $40 (unwaged) with lunch included.
Programme
9.00–10.00am: Slow Burn | Ahi Tāmau exhibition viewing, Level 4
9.30–10.00am: Tea and coffee in Icon, Level 2
10.00–10.15am: Welcome
10.15–11.15am: Keynote: Natalie Robertson
11.15am–12.00pm: Conor Clarke in conversation with Shannon Te Ao
12.00–12.45pm: Selina Ershadi in conversation with Hanahiva Rose
12.45–1.45pm: Lunch (please let us know of any dietary requirements when you register)
1.45–2.30pm: Johanna Mechen in conversation with Caroline McQuarrie
2.30–3.15pm: Marie Shannon in conversation with Alice Tappenden
3.30–4.00pm: That’s you Mugwort! A performance by Ann Shelton from the physical garden series
4.00-4.15pm: Closing remarks
NZSL
This event will have NZSL interpretation. Feel free to email [email protected] if you have any questions or accessibility requirements you'd like to share with us.
Assisted listening
An assisted listening system is available for this event. This allows you to stream the audio from the event directly to your hearing aid or smartphone headphones using the free WaveCAST app. Find information on the Te Papa assisted listening system, including how to set this up ahead of your visit. Feel free to email us at [email protected] if you need assistance.