Kiwi as a culture

Yesterday, as I was getting informed through the local press and medias, the Kiwi twitosphere was shaken by a debate launched by a local writer, Eleanor Catton, who was interviewed during a trip to India as she won the Man Booker price for her last book. She was explaining that it was hard to be an ambassador for her country and to be proud of it because it was ruled by heaps of politicians only interested in money and defending free market, body and soul (she added it was also the case in Canada and Australia) making New Zealanders mistrustful of her international success.

This author, close to the Green Party as far as she has been depicted, was harshly criticised for her says by a radio presenter who called her a hoa (Maori for "whore" I believe) and by the Prime Minister John Key, who then added that it was her right to say so, but that she depreciated New Zealand to an international Level and that the current Government had been legally elected by New Zealanders. Catton also mentioned that it had become really difficult for authors like her or for artists as a whole to gain recognition in their own country, that they had to travel abroad to be known for their work and that even after this, she did not feel acclaimed for her work at home. These was due to the lack of culture of art by people sustained by liberalism according to her.

I have to say that since I arrived, I seldom had the occasion to see that people had a particular appetite in literature, pictorial arts or others. As far as painting is concerned, I tried to look for some informations about a New Zealand painter from the 1940-1960s, known for being the Van Gogh of the Pacific, but that it was really difficult despite this nickname. There is galore of free museums but it seems that the spark of originality is not powerful enough to propel a major artistic upheaval. Native music is the same kind of music one can pretty much find anywhere in occidental countries, but isn't it more and more the case? As my friend Rollo put it in one of his mail, aren't we more and more living in a world of global culture?

There is mainly culture of sport and nature, no one can really deny it. But what one had to bear in mind is that New Zealand is still a very young country. To see the light of day, culture needs centuries, no matter what government rules a country as history had taught us, as they never really last long and are soon replaced with other ones when culture remain. This country is still building itself, trying to harmonise the heritage from all the cultures people brought with them from all around the world coming here. Nevertheless, I think I can feel that the flicker only needs a breath of air to shine, because Kiwis have a particular asset: their isolation makes them tremendously curious of everything. Until now, I had the feeling that every time you start talking about something they ignore, they literally lap up everything you say.

Another advantage in not having a settled culture yet is that no one may impose them what their tastes have to be. What would be the best: that artists would be recognised because they have the chance to know someone who became well known via the same bias, and because they befriended the right persons, no matter what their true artistic skills or originality are (what is too much the case in France according to me)? Or seeing true talents stick out from the crowd because they deserve it (what is particularly subjective to determine I reckon), or because their gift was considered as one by the vast majority or because they became famous by serendipity (a concept that is dear to Anglo-Saxons I believe)? It does not make it less difficult to see a new original culture be born, but the result could be even more impressive and exigent.

I understand how difficult it must be for this author and I admit that through the conversations I could have with most of New Zealanders, Government actions toward the rise of an appetite for culture or a pride for Kiwi culture are scarce, but this lack of governmental interventions to plough a field to make it more fertile is also it's chance. New Zealand could take advantage of it to make its isolation also become cultural before blossoming and radiate all over the world with its own particularity. Even though, a little boost to achieve it would not be unnecessary.