Aotearoa Exchange group performed a unique presentation that opened SCHMUCKmuenchen 2026 at the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, on Friday, 6 March. The project brought together more than forty wearable works by twenty Handshake Project alumni artists. Six performers moved through the space, shaping live, shifting encounters between the audience and the work.
The presentation offered a live, artist‑led intervention centred on collaboration, mobility, and shared encounter. Sculptural headpieces by Mia Straka and garments by Jessica Winchcombe formed the core of the work, carrying alumni pieces activated through choreographed movement.
Set within the Pinakothek der Moderne’s once‑in‑a‑century celebration, Aotearoa Exchange placed our HS alumni inside a rare international gathering of peers and experts — a chance to communicate, share, compare, and participate in a global exchange of ideas and practices.
Supported by Creative New Zealand, Makers 101, and the artists.
