Join us for a conversation between Dr Mike Austin and Albert L. Refiti on their collaboration for our current exhibition Oceanic Architectural Routes: The photographic archive of Mike Austin: Presented by Architectus.

The talk will take place on the last day of the show and is a perfect opportunity to visit for the first time or get deeper on the content of the exhibition.

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Dr Mike Austin has made a significant contribution in the research and understanding of buildings, architecture and culture of Oceania and the Pacific. Austin began teaching at the University of Auckland School of Architecture in 1969 after working in the architectural office of Newman, Smith & Greenough. His PhD in 1976 supervised by Gerhard Rosenberg, Polynesian Architecture in New Zealand, was the first serious study of Māori and Pacific architecture. He taught from 1969 until 1999 at the University of Auckland and was Head of Architecture at Unitech Papua New Guinea in 1987 before taking a position as Professor of architecture at Unitec in 2000. 

Leali’ifano Dr Albert L. Refiti (Samoa: Fasito’outa, Vaovai, Vailima) is Associate Professor of Art and Design at Auckland University of Technology. He is co-editor of The Handbook of Contemporary Indigenous Architecture (2018) and Pacific Spaces: Translations and Transmutations (2022). He is a co-leader with Tina Engel-Schwarzpaul and Layne Waerea of the Vā Moana Research Cluster at AUT University and is currently conducting research funded by the Royal Society Marsden Fund on the history of architecture in Te Moananui with Rau Hoskins. 

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Oceanic Architectural Routes is presented by Architectus. Our thanks to The Purple Gift for providing special support for public programming around this exhibition.

Coffee & Croissants is a conversation series supported by our friends at Allpress Espresso and Daily Bread.