Colossal Squid Comes To Ashburton Art Gallery And Museum

Friday, 9 June 2023, 2:05 pm
Press Release: Ashburton Art Gallery

The ever popular Te Papa exhibition Colossal Squid: Freaky Features! | Te Ngū Tipua: Ngā Wāhanga Weriweri!, opens at the Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum on June 24 and runs through until September 17.

Colossal Squid Jars

The Colossal Squid is so rarely seen that only eight adult colossal squid have ever been scientifically reported. Now Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum, in co-operation with Te Papa, is set to reveal some of the fascinating science and wonderful secrets of one of New Zealand’s most significant natural history specimens.

Te Papa's Head of Natural History, Phil Edgar said, “in learning about this weird and mysterious creature we hope visitors will have a greater appreciation for life in the deep sea, much of which remains undiscovered.”

The Colossal Squid is one of the most iconic specimens at Te Papa, and while touring the complete specimen is impossible, some of the important parts of the squid has found its way to Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum.

Te Papa’s Curator of Invertebrates Dr Rodrigo Salvador explains how important the Colossal Squid has been for the science community, and how popular it has been among the public.

“Te Papa’s Colossal Squid has been a major source of information for scientists and the museum’s most popular exhibit since its debut. They live in the deep Antarctic waters and despite being one of the largest invertebrate species in existence, they are very rarely captured”.

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Colossal Squid: Freaky Features! | Te Ngū Tipua: Ngā Wāhanga Weriweri! centres around an interactive table displaying many different objects including the lens from an eye of the Colossal Squid, part of a tentacle, and a complete tiny squid; the miniature of its colossal relative. Touchable rotating models of a squid’s tentacle hook and the Colossal Squid's beak are also on display.

The exhibition also displays two documentaries which show life in the depths of the Southern Ocean, and how the most complete Colossal Squid ever found ended up at Te Papa.

The public are able to continue the experience and learn beyond the exhibition with a new Te Papa press book for children, Whiti: Colossal Squid of the Deep, and online Te Papa resources including a free downloadable Colossal Squid Activity Book.

The Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum will be hosting an opening event for Colossal Squid: Freaky Features! | Te Ngū Tipua: Ngā Wāhanga Weriweri! on Friday 23 June at 6pm. All are welcome and this event will coincide with the blessing of our other new exhibition, Puaka: A Star on the Rise.

Colossal Squid: Freaky Features! | Te Ngū Tipua: Ngā Wāhanga Weriweri! will be open throughout the upcoming July school holidays, and school groups are welcome to book to see the exhibition during term time.

Colossal Squid: Freaky Features! | Te Ngū Tipua: Ngā Wāhanga Weriweri! is developed and toured by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

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