“A beautiful hesitation”: a New Zealand memento mori in The Met

An intriguing photograph of an extinct bird joined other works from New Zealand in The Met in 2025. Solitary Female Huia by Fiona Pardington (2006, inkjet print, reprinted 2024) is one of a series of confronting, mournful bird photographs, several of which can be seen at the Venice Biennale now and through until November 2026. The Met exhibits just one photograph from this remarkable group, but it is such a compelling work that much can be learned from it about the artist, her philosophy and the cultural traditions she draws on.