Heat Wave is an oxymoron: i.e., the bringing together of terms that seemingly contradict one another. We instinctively go to the ocean's cool when we think of waves but, in reality, a heat wave is actually a period of excessively hot weather. In terms of water temperature, boiling point and freezing are opposites. They’re an example of polarity, i.e., positive and negative, North Pole and South Pole. It seems that polarity is just a part of existing in this three-dimensional environment, and something that we might need to get used to as the internet and social media bring us face to face with extreme differences in opinion, and ideas of right and wrong.

When two opposite positions come together, and move against one another, this creates friction – conversations that emit heat with the friction of opposing opinions. Still, these spaces of hot discomfort are often necessary for us to move into new ways of being and relating to one another. Whether it’s personal beef between family members, or differing views in marae committees or workplaces, friction can lead to discomfort within ourselves and our own thoughts. But change in itself isn’t comfortable either, and friction can be both natural and necessary. In the past, societal change has been made by movements going against the status quo, pushing against the individuals that make up a system, and challenging them. We can sit with discomfort in solidarity, together.

The presence of two opposites, and the friction that they create, opens up the possibility of addressing imbalance. One space where we’re out of balance is in our impact on the planet. As the earth is increasingly blanketed with greenhouse gases, our planet is warming at unprecedented levels. Rangatahi and many others, in Aotearoa and worldwide, are angry, and frustrated at the lack of change. This anger build-up led to a protest of 40,000 outside parliament in 2019.

With wars being waged both overseas and at home, there are so many things to be angry about and despair over. It’s easy to feel lost and to not know how, as an individual, you can make a difference. What can we do? Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu:we can go within ourselves and our own communities, and contribute to change in our own ways, however small those may be.

At The Pantograph Punch, we’re a tiny part-time team that can’t cover all the pressing issues in the arts sector and beyond with our current bandwidth (have you considered donating?). But what we can do is share exciting art, empowering stories and diverse perspectives. We want to be the safe haven, the port in the storm for our readers, with Heat Wave, a collection of 21 heated and fired-up works, balanced by prayer and reflection.

Me he maonga āwhā, like a lull in a storm. This whakataukī is about taking a moment to settle ourselves, within times of intense feelings, and pause and reflect. Although “feelings can be stormlike … we can make space for calm.” In a stormy time of excessive change, let Heat Wave be a space of challenge, or of calm.

Heat Wave is hot: we’re flirty and 30 with Nathan Joe; fiery with Ana McAllister and her poetry; fantasising about multi-million-dollar homes, Botox and burgers with Sinead Overbye; and thirsty for body sovereignty in our team piece on ‘thirst traps’ (photos included :-^). It’s current: with reviews of Alexa Wilson’s newly released work Rituals of Destruction; Kurangaituku by Whiti Hereaka (shortlisted for the Ockhams); Puhi Ariki (the inaugural show at Wairau Māori Art Gallery); and Night Raiders (Indigenous sci-fi with a nationwide release this month). It’s introspective, too: discussing unconscious bias and dating with Naomii Seah and the creators of The Elephant in the Bedroom;centring the narratives of four musicians of African descent with Makanaka Tuwe; and learning from Cadence Chung about the challenges of autism.

As always, I extend thanks to our contributors to Heat Wave: Ariana Tikao, Cadence Chung, Jade Kake, Leonard Powell, Naomii Seah, Nathan Joe, Makanaka Tuwe, Pelenakeke Brown, Rachael Longshaw-Park, Rose Lu, Shaneel Lal and Taualofa Totua, illustrators Chai HuiYin and Victoria Te Aho-White, and our team at The Pantograph Punch –Vanessa Mei Crofskey, Sherry Zhang 章雪莉, Ana McAllister, Sinead Overbye, Faith Wilson, Nuanzhi Zheng 郑暖之。and our subeditor Marie Shannon.

Heat Wave

Contents

Art

We Are Still Here: Jade Kake reviews Puhi Ariki,the inaugural show at Wairau Māori Art Gallery

A Spell for Hilma: Poets respond to Hilma af Klint: The Secret Paintings

Mentors Making Space: The exhibition Raroboys and Friends celebrates the agency of youth at South Auckland’s Māngere Arts Centre

Takatāpui Superpowers: Taualofa Totua on activist artist Kahu Kutia, and the whakapapa of her work Te Pō in Te Tīmatanga Auckland Pride art trail

Literature

The Rules of Fire, and Yelling about Tropes: A selection of fiery poems from Ana McAllister

Love Is the Balm: Faith Wilson with the makers of Filemu zine, Taualofa Totua and Iosua Ah-Hao

Power of the Story: Ariana Tikao reviews Whiti Hereaka’s novelKurangaituku

Performance

All You Can Eat: Pelenakeke Brown feasts on Alexa Wilson’s Rituals of Destruction

Realities of Red: The last few years have been unforgiving for the arts and events industry. Reflection and interviews by Rachael Longshaw-Park

The Genderless Void: Shaneel Lal reviews augmented reality installation ATUA by FAFSWAG

Society

Thirty, Flirty and Tired: In 30 essays on being 30, Nathan Joe meditates on love, identity and growing up

Sane / Special: Cadence Chung on being autistic, and the problems with clinicalising human experiences

Blue Mind, Red Mind: Faith Wilson on turning to prayer and water to ground herself

Screen

Beyond Racial Bias: Naomii Seah with the makers of podcast and documentary The Elephant in the Bedroom on love, dating and unconscious bias as Asians in Aotearoa

Selling Pōneke: Sinead Overbye uses the reality TV show Selling Sunset as escapism and imagines what Selling Pōneke would be like

Indigenous Sci-Fi: Ahead of its nationwide release, Ana McAllister on dystopian futuristic film Night Raiders

Music

Four Artists of African Descent: Makanaka Tuwe claims the narratives, traditions and cultures of musicians of African descent in Aotearoa as the centre

Good Things Take Time: Erny Belle’s debut album Venus Is Home is worth the wait, says Leonard Powell

News

Heat Wave: Letter from Ataria Sharman, Editor of The Pantograph Punch

Staring Down the Barrel of the Camera: Ana McAllister and the Pantograph Punch team on thirst-trap photography.

Off The Beaten Track: Ataria talks to Hamish Petersen, Editor of Correspondence, about arts writing and their research on decolonial methodologies for Pākehā and Tauiwi arts workers

Feature image: Chai HuiYin