Story: New Zealand culture overseas

Cultural controversy

Cultural controversy

There has occasionally been conflict between the image of New Zealand portrayed in artworks and the image that promoters of the country want to convey. This arresting photograph by Peter Peryer, Dead steer (1987), gives a disturbing perspective on New Zealand animal farming. It created controversy when it was shown in Frankfurt in 1995. New Zealand's minister of agriculture, John Falloon, complained that it was potentially harmful for the export meat industry and sought unsuccessfully to have the exhibition closed or the photograph removed. Representatives of the New Zealand embassy in Bonn were instructed to boycott the opening of the exhibition there.

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Auckland Art Gallery – Toi o Tāmaki
Reference: C1998/1/18
Photograph by Peter Peryer

Permission of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Nancy Swarbrick, 'New Zealand culture overseas - Taking New Zealand to the world', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/45838/cultural-controversy (accessed 19 April 2024)

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 22 Oct 2014